CAN 2025: For Algerian fans, the trip to Morocco costs a fortune

Although Algeria and Morocco share a border, it is hermetically sealed, as is the airspace. As a result, to reach Rabat where their team will play their group matches, Algerian supporters are forced to take absurd detours. A stopover is mandatory, most often via Tunis, but sometimes via Paris, Madrid or Istanbul, turning a one-hour flight into a journey that can exceed 20 hours, laments Maghreb Intelligence.

This complexity is causing the bill to skyrocket. During the holiday season, a one-way Algiers-Rabat ticket can exceed 560 euros. For those hoping to follow the entire group stage, from December 23 to January 1, the transportation budget ranges from 650 to 1,460 euros. A luxury that many cannot afford, which risks leaving the stands reserved for Algerians partially empty.

To this geographical puzzle is added an administrative component. Travelers must now obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (AEV) via the "Yalla" application. While this formality is officially free for the CAN period, confusion reigns: unscrupulous agencies are trying to monetize this document, forcing CAF and the organizers to repeatedly remind people to avoid scams. Between prohibitive costs and an uphill battle, Algerian fervor is being severely tested even before the first whistle.