Morocco’s participation in CHAN 2022: Lekjaa’s new scheme

While the 7ᵉ edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2022) hosted by Algeria begins this evening, doubts still hang over Morocco’s participation or withdrawal. After announcing yesterday that the Moroccan delegation was unable to make the trip to Constantine, today the president of the Moroccan federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, is trying a new scheme.

Indeed, the president of the FRMF, Fouzi Lekjaa, went this Friday morning with the players of the Moroccan selection to Rabat airport, affirming that they were awaiting “the authorization of the Algerian authorities to join the Algeria via a direct flight from Rabat to Constantine, aboard a Royal Air Maroc plane, to participate in CHAN 2022”.

While yesterday, an official press release from the FRMF had informed that “Morocco was not in a position to make the trip to Constantine. And this, for not having received a follow-up to his request sent to CAF for a direct flight Rabat-Constantine”.

This latest maneuver by Lekjaa has not been unanimous on social networks. Several Internet users, especially on Twitter, felt that “the FRMF boss was playing the victimization card”. And that this gesture had the sole purpose “to attract the attention of the presidents of FIFA and CAF”, who, let us remember, had gone to Morocco this Friday to attend the draw for the FIFA Cup. Club world before returning to Algeria.

Finally, will Morocco take part in CHAN 2022 in Algeria?

For the moment, and only a few hours before the start of CHAN 2022, no official announcement has been made concerning Morocco’s participation in this 7th edition, or its withdrawal from the competition. However, Fouzi Lekjaa led people to believe today, from Rabat airport, that “his country was ultimately not going to participate in CHAN 2022”. Moreover, “the Moroccan delegation would have left the airport after a few hours of waiting”.

“In the presence of Gianni Infantino and Patrice Motsepe, it’s really a shame for sport, to see the Moroccan team deprived of going to Algeria. We have been preparing for the competition for six months and we will not be able to defend our CHAN title. It’s a shame to know that our young players waited for hours at the airport waiting for an authorization to participate”, did he declare.

Morocco’s participation in CHAN 2022 in Algeria: what Motsepe said

During a press conference held yesterday at the new Nelson-Mandela in Baraki (Algiers), the president of CAF, Patrice Motsepe, indicated that “Morocco had explained the reasons for its absence and that Algeria had made same”, assuring that “the concern of CAF was the development of African football”.

Thus, the head of CAF explained that “he was not in a position to speak in place of Algeria or Morocco”, recalling, for this purpose, “the national sovereignty of each country that nothing can exceed “.

In the same vein, it should be noted that sports commentator Hafid Derradji spoke about the reason behind the withdrawal of the Moroccan selection from CHAN 2022. According to him, “Morocco insisted on crossing the airspace of Algeria directly from Morocco, despite its closure”.

However, the BeIN Sport commentator did not fail to underline the fact that “CAF had asked Morocco to join Algeria via Space, Mauritania or Tunisia”, adding that “Morocco wanted to break the decision sovereign of Algeria.

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