AFCON
WHY NIGERIA WILL LIKELY GET MORE EGYPTIAN SUPPORT IN AFCON SEMI-FINALS CLASH WITH ALGERIA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may likely profit from the long term sporting feud that exists between Egypt and Algeria as Nigeria face Algeria in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday night.
Already, the Super Eagles appeared to be the adopted home team for the Egyptians after their painful exit via a late goal by South Africa. Incidentally, it was also by a late goal that Nigeria applied to eliminate South Africa, as if avenging for the Egyptians.
The Super Eagles were greeted with deep rooted chants of Nee-ge-ria! as the Nigerian team arrived Cairo from Alexandria earlier in the week for their last Wednesday grudge-filled match with South Africa. Nigeria did a good ‘job’ for the Egyptians by eliminating their eliminator.
Now it is another grudge laden encounter with Algeria. For 41 years since the Algiers ’78 All Africa Games, there have been strained sporting relationship between Algeria and Egypt and this had often degenerated to violence and diplomatic row.
At the height of the tension, Egypt, in the same Group A with hosts, Algeria, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire initially refused to send a team to the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria until they were threatened with an outright ban as later happened to Nigeria which pulled out of the !996 tournament.
Egypt later sent a second string side to the tournament, leaving at home, their stars, who were later to feature at Italia ’90 World Cup.
Incidentally, both Algeria are
Arab countries in North Africa and separated by Libya. Football matches between
them are fiercely contested and often lead to violence and sometimes
necessitating taking the fixtures to a neutral ground as was the case in a 2010
World Cup qualifiers which had to be taken to Sudan.
As a way of easing tension with the Algerians at the on-going Africa Cup of Nations, Egyptian ticketing company Tazkarti published a statement to help Algerian fans that attended the country’s quarter-final game against Cote d’Ivoire. The statement included some rules such as every fan should have their fan ID in during the period of the African tournament whether in Cairo or any other city.
“There is a Tazkarti outlet at Cairo International Airport which will help the fellow Algerians to get the fan ID and the tickets easily,” Tazkarti’s statement revealed.
“To facilitate for our Algerian brothers [only], owing to the narrow time and the large number of fans arriving at the airport, the fans can attend the games with the passport and the match ticket only,” the statement added.
The Egyptian feud with Algeria started in 1978 at the All Africa Games in Algiers. During a riot that followed a Libya versus Egypt match, Algerian fans reportedly aided the Libyans prompting Egypt to withdraw midway into the All Africa Games, even though leading on the overall medals’ table.
Later in 1989, Egypt eliminated Algeria at the final stage for the qualification for 1990 World Cup in Italy. It was a bloody battle as the Algerian felt that the Tunisian referee for the match was bias.
An Egyptian player, Ayman Younes reportedly remarked: “”It was a battle, not a football match”. In Egypt, Algerian player, Lakhdar Belloumi was convicted in absentia for glass attack which blinded Egypt’s team doctor in one eye.
Tension has not abated ever since. A defeat of Algerian teams is always a source of joy for a typical Egyptian.
TALE OF EGYPT-ALGERIA FOOTBALL FEUD
- 1978: Egyptian team recalled part-way through 3rd All Africa Gamesin Algeria after brawl following win over Libya. Algerian spectators joined in on Libyan side
- 1989: Egypt beat Algeria to reach Italia 90. After the match, midfielder Lakhdar Belloumi allegedlyblinded the Egyptian team doctor with a bottle. He remained subject to an Interpol arrest warrant, although he claimed goalkeeper Kamel Kadri had been the true perpetrator.
- 1990: Egypt initially refused to send its team to African Nations Cupin Algeria. It later benched its main squad at home and sent a second string squad which expectedly crashed out at group stage.
· 2009: Striker Hossam Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan, banned indefinitely by FIFA after a brawl following a club game in Algeria
·
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) has kicked off a European promotional tour themed “Morocco, Land of Football” to boost the country’s visibility ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The roadshow, which began on June 16 and runs through June 23, is making stops in five key European cities: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.
According to a press release, the initiative is designed to enhance Morocco’s international profile through a blend of sports and cultural promotion, as the kingdom prepares to host the continent’s premier football tournament.
“Morocco is preparing to welcome Africa. Through this roadshow, we aim to tell a collective story of a country oriented towards the future, proud of its roots, and passionate about football,” said Achraf Fayda, Director General of ONMT.
The roadshow stems from a strategic partnership signed in April between the ONMT and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), with the shared goal of positioning Morocco as a leading global destination for both football and tourism by 2030.
At each stop, the tour is expected to engage over 100 travel agents, tour operators, media professionals, and African tourism experts. Participants are treated to immersive, multisensory experiences that highlight Morocco’s tourism offerings, while also facilitating networking with sports personalities.
The campaign targets travel professionals, sports industry stakeholders, and digital content creators as part of ONMT’s broader strategy to leverage AFCON 2025 for tourism development and international branding.
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The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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