Algeria Denies Airspace Access for Morocco’s CHAN 2023 Team, Jeopardizing Participation

Will Morocco be absent from the African Nations Championship to be held in Algeria? If Morocco and Algeria do not review their position, the competition will take place without the Moroccan selection. A few days ago, the president of the FRMF, Fouzi Lekjaa had, by correspondence, seized the CAF and the CHAN organizing committee, asking them to allow the official carrier of the Moroccan football teams (Royal Air Maroc) to drop the players in Constantine.

The Head of the CHAN 2023 Organizing Committee had stressed at the end of last week that all participants are required to travel through the means made available to them. Today it is to the CAF that Algeria responds by refusing to open its airspace to the Moroccan national team’s plane, thus jeopardizing Morocco’s participation.

The CAF’s reaction to Algeria’s refusal will determine that of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Fouzi Lekjaa had confided last week that he was awaiting the response of the African Football Confederation to his letter before confirming Morocco’s participation or not in CHAN 2023. Given all the media hype on the issue, it would be surprising if Morocco ultimately agreed to participate in CHAN.