CAF Apologizes for Controversial Morocco Map Blunder at Women’s Africa Cup

The CAF caused an uproar in Rabat by transmitting to the official broadcasters of the Women’s CAN Morocco 2024, including the channel Arryadia, an advertising spot featuring a map of Morocco without its Sahara. The broadcast of this advertising spot by the Moroccan national sports channel during the opening of the competition sparked lively controversy due to the map of Morocco separated from its Sahara and an advertisement for the Russian sports betting company 1XBET, whose activities are formally prohibited in the kingdom.

For many Moroccans, this spot not only directly attacks the territorial integrity of the kingdom, but it also violates the laws of Morocco, the host country of the Women’s CAN. Faced with the controversy, the Arryadia channel explained that it had no connection with the production of this spot. "We are only broadcasters. The content of the stream is entirely produced and transmitted by CAF," it specified. In the wake of this, the anger of Moroccan viewers and media pressure forced the CAF to officially apologize to Arryadia.

"The Confederation of African Football has officially apologized to the National Broadcast and Television Company, taking full responsibility for this regrettable incident," reads a statement published by Arryadia. The CAF is said to have committed to correcting the advertisement and preventing such incidents in the future. "It has committed to correcting the promotional clip in question and ensuring that such errors do not recur," added the Moroccan sports channel.