Morocco made it all the way to the semi-finals during the World Cup in Qatar – but in the African Nations Championship they didn’t even make it to the airport in neighboring Algeria. The chaos started last week. During the opening ceremony of the championship, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, gave a speech during the opening ceremony which was held at the newly opened Nelson Mandela Stadium. With, among others, Fifa president Gianni Infantino in the stands, Mandela’s message was to liberate both Palestine and Western Sahara. The latter set fire to both the audience and the Moroccans at home. – In his honour, let us not forget the last colony in Africa: Western Sahara. Let us fight to free Western Sahara from oppression, Mandela said, referring to his grandfather. TWO LEAVES MANDELA: Mandla Mandela (standing in yellow T-shirt) with his grandfather Nelson Mandela (sitting in yellow T-shirt) pictured together in 2009. Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters The statement was met with scattered boos and cheers inside the arena, and afterwards came the racist chants aimed at Moroccans. “Give them bananas! Moroccans are animals”, according to the AFP news agency, is said to have been shouted from the stands. Moroccan athletics legend rages The African Football Confederation (Caf) writes in a press release that they do not stand behind Mandela’s statements and that the organization is politically neutral. An investigation is currently underway into the incident to determine whether it was in accordance with Caf and the statutes of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The press release causes the former Moroccan great runner Hicham El Guerrouj to rage on Twitter. He calls Caf’s statement “shocking”. – How can you talk about an investigation when you were PRESENT AND WITNESSED the racist comments from the Algerian people and the incitement from the speaker who called for war against Morocco in his speech. You must first condemn it, then investigate, writes El Guerrouj, who is the world record holder at 1500 meters. OLYMPIC CHAMPION: Hicham El Guerrouj wreaked havoc in the middle and long distances at the turn of the millennium. He won 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters during the Sydney Olympics in 2004, as well as the fact that he took four straight WC gold medals in the 1,500 meters between 1997 and 2003. Photo: BEN CURTIS / AP Western Sahara: The symbol of the conflict Knut S. Vikør has among wrote another book about the history of the North African countries and was history professor at the University of Bergen for a number of years. He refers to Algeria and Morocco as “regional rivals” and the Western Sahara as “the symbol of the conflict” between the two countries. – In Morocco, the Sahara issue is more or less sacred and one of the things that you are not allowed to discuss if you want to be in peace and quiet in that country, he says to news. From 1884 to 1975, the area was known as the Spanish Sahara. After Spain withdrew, there were periods of conflict. Since 1991, most of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco, while parts of it are controlled by the Polisario movement, which is supported by Algeria in its struggle for liberation. Vikør believes that the situation in Western Sahara is now reasonably calm and that the Moroccans have good control. Furthermore, he believes the reactions of the supporters inside the arena are like a spinal reflex for the Algerian supporters. – They speak the same language and there is no racial difference. This is political and a bit of irritation that they are closing the borders and such. The active conflict between the two countries dates back 50 years, so it’s probably a little bit that people have got used to them being ugly people and colonists, those on the other side, he says. Didn’t get a flight to Algeria In autumn 2021, Morocco and Algeria cut all diplomatic relations and it has not been possible to fly from Morocco to Algeria. Nevertheless, they wanted to enter the country via air, but were refused at the last minute by the Algerian authorities: – What we are experiencing today with the Moroccan national team in the waiting room at the airport is a shame, said Morocco’s football president Faouzi Lekjaa, according to the BBC. HAD TO WAIT: Players for the Moroccan U23 national team participating in the African Nations Championship waited a long time in the hope of getting the go-ahead to fly from the capital Rabat to Algeria. Photo: FADEL SENNA / AFP The African Nations Championship is not the same as the prestigious African Championship. They are held every two years. It has Fifa status as a friendly tournament and has been held six times previously. Morocco, along with the Democratic People’s Republic of Congo, are the most successful nations with two wins each.
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“Give them bananas! Moroccans are animals” – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
