Morocco Withdraws from African Nations Championship over Travel Dispute with Algeria

In a statement published on Tuesday, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced the non-participation of the national football team in the 7th edition of the CHAN. The competition reserved for players playing on the continent will take place from January 13 to February 4.

To justify this withdrawal, the Moroccan football authorities cited a logistical point related to the transport of the Atlas Lions. The sports authorities indeed demanded that the national team travel to Constantine, the host city of Morocco’s matches, via a direct flight from Rabat on board a Royal Air Maroc (RAM) aircraft, the official carrier of the national teams.

This request would have been refused by the Algerian authorities, due to the diplomatic tensions that exist between the two countries. For several months, Algeria has closed its airspace to Morocco. As a result, Morocco, the double defending champion, has decided to boycott the competition.