Moroccan Media on the Attack: A Vicious Smear Campaign Targets Algeria’s Women’s National Team at AFCON 2024

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Desperate to Distract from Scandal and Infrastructure Failures, Rabat Resorts to Fabricated Allegations and Political Provocation

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Algiers, Algeria | July 10th, 2025 —In yet another act of desperate political theatrics, Moroccan media has launched a coordinated smear campaign against the Algerian women’s national football team during their participation in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), currently taking place on Moroccan soil.

What began as a routine continental tournament has rapidly descended into a toxic political circus orchestrated by Morocco’s propaganda machinery, known for its obsession with discrediting Algeria in every possible arena.

From the very outset of the competition on July 5, Moroccan outlets unleashed a barrage of baseless accusations against the Algerian squad, coached by Farid Benstiti. The goal was clear: to destabilize “The Greens” and drag them into a manufactured political scandal under false pretenses.

Political Exploitation and a Manufactured Crisis

At the heart of this latest episode lies the absurd allegation that the Algerian team deliberately covered the tournament logo—which includes the name Morocco—on their bench during the opening match. But independent investigations revealed that the organizing committee itself had obscured the logo, as it belonged to a local Casablanca club—not the tournament’s branding.

The same treatment was given to Botswana, Algeria’s opponent in the opening match. Yet curiously, only Algeria faced media wrath, exposing the selective outrage and clear political intent.

The real scandal, however, began even earlier—with Morocco broadcasting a promotional anthem that included overt political messaging aimed at legitimizing its illegal occupation of Western Sahara, in direct violation of Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regulations that strictly prohibit political exploitation of sporting events.

CAF (Confederation of African Football) later slapped down Morocco by enforcing the use of the official CAF map, which separates Western Sahara from Morocco. The humiliation triggered hysteria in Moroccan media, who in retaliation, manufactured the current crisis targeting Algeria.

Covering Up Failures with Conspiracy

This media frenzy is, in truth, a smokescreen to cover Morocco’s glaring failures as a host nation. The tournament, plagued with organizational issues, is being played in under-equipped municipal stadiums as the country races to finish renovations on major venues ahead of AFCON 2025 (Men’s edition). Rather than acknowledge these flaws, Moroccan authorities have chosen their usual path: blame Algeria.

The Algerian women’s team was even forced to change hotels due to substandard conditions—a move echoed by Tunisia, Nigeria, and Congo. Yet only Algeria’s decision made headlines, revealing once again the orchestrated nature of the media attacks.

A Pattern of Provocation Before AFCON 2025

Observers believe this campaign is a trial run for what’s to come in December, when the men’s tournament kicks off and the Algerian national team—led by coach Vladimir Petković—will likely become the primary target of similar provocations. It is a strategy that aims to create distractions, manufacture outrage, and politicize sport.

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