The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has announced that it is ready to boycott the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will be hosted by Algeria if the national team is not allowed to fly directly to the host country. The competition is scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 19, 2023.
This decision comes after Algeria prevented Morocco from participating in the 2021 CHAN tournament. Earlier this year, Algeria refused to allow the Atlas Lions to fly directly from Rabat to Constantine for the tournament. As a result, Morocco was forced to withdraw from the competition.
The FRMF President, Fouzi Lekjaa, has stated that the U17 national team will not participate in the next AFCON if they do not receive the same treatment as other participating nations. He added that if they are not allowed to fly directly to Algeria, they will take the necessary steps and boycott the tournament.
Nigeria, Zambia, Morocco and South Africa are all in Group B for the AFCON U-17. Group B matches will take place in Constantine, Algeria.
This is a situation that has caused a great deal of controversy in the football world. The FRMF is adamant that Morocco should be allowed to fly directly to the host country, just like other participating nations. If Algeria continues to refuse, then Morocco may be forced to boycott the tournament.
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops in the coming months. It is likely that the two countries will need to come to a compromise in order to ensure a successful tournament. Otherwise, the entire competition may be put in jeopardy.
