Political Tensions Threaten Algeria’s Participation in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Algeria would fear provocations, in particular the use of a map of Morocco including the Sahara by the public, and it will surely not deprive itself of it.

According to the Algerian media Observatoire Algérie, a boycott of the competition by Algeria is not to be excluded if politics takes precedence over sport. A catastrophic scenario for the Fennecs of Riyad Mahrez, already qualified and favorites for the title. Several matches of Algerian teams in Morocco have already been canceled, with the visiting teams withdrawing at the last moment.

But a boycott of the 2025 CAN would be a risky bet for Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation would be exposed to FIFA sanctions, which could go as far as exclusion from the 2026 World Cup, a competition that Algeria wishes to participate in and show the renaissance of its football.

Last April, the African Football Confederation (CAF) had imposed heavy sanctions on it due to the cancellation of the first leg of the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup between the Moroccan club Renaissance de Berkane and the Union Sportive de la Médina d’Alger, on Sunday, April 21, 2024, because of the jersey containing a map of the kingdom including the Sahara.

At the end of the same month, Algeria had called on the International Olympic Committee to bar the way "to any importation of political conflicts into the Olympic sports arena". Without mentioning the Sahara, Algeria had not hesitated to cancel football and handball matches between Moroccan and Algerian players.