The decades-long rivalry between North African neighbours Morocco and Algeria has spilled onto the soccer pitch, leaving the Moroccan workforce out of the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The Atlas Lions’ under-23 workforce, winner of the final two CHAN tournaments, withdrew its participation on Friday after host Algeria refused to authorise a direct flight from Rabat. Algiers closed its airspace to all Moroccan flights in September 2021, a month after severing ties. CHAN organisers mentioned the workforce might have taken an oblique flight.

Fouzi Lekjaa, head of Morocco’s FRMF soccer federation, mentioned it was “really regrettable that the Moroccan national team, which had been preparing seriously for six months to participate in CHAN and defend its title, was deprived of the chance”.

The workforce left the Rabat-Sale airport on Friday afternoon after hours of ready for a inexperienced mild to take off to the Algerian metropolis of Constantine, an AFP photographer mentioned.

The gamers and employees boarded a bus and left the airport the place that they had been ready for the reason that early morning, the photographer added.

The Algerian organising committee mentioned final week the host had no obligation to let gamers arrive through direct flights, Moroccan information web site Hespress reported.

The committee’s chair, Rachid Oukali, famous most different groups would most likely have layovers on the best way, in line with Hespress.

Algeria broke off diplomatic ties with Morocco in August 2021, citing “hostile acts” by the dominion and accusing it of spying on prime officers.

The two nations are locked in a bitter rivalry partly over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the place the Algerian-backed Polisario motion seeks an independence referendum.

The United States in 2020 recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in a quid professional quo for re-establishing ties with Israel, to the chagrin of Algiers — which for many years has seen itself as North Africa’s fundamental champion of the Palestinian trigger.

‘Sovereign matter’

The Moroccan soccer federation on Thursday mentioned it was knowledgeable final month by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that Algeria had issued “an authorisation in principle” for the direct flight from Rabat to Constantine.

But the flight had not been confirmed, the FRMF added, asserting it was cancelling its participation within the CHAN.

Morocco’s overseas ministry mentioned in a while Thursday the workforce would certainly journey, resulting in the hours-long wait on the airport.

Algeria had not confirmed whether or not it had authorized the flight.

As the Moroccan workforce waited in Rabat, Gianni Infantino and Patrice Motsepe, heads of world governing physique FIFA and CAF respectively, arrived from Algeria, the place that they had attended the opening of a brand new stadium.

Motsepe mentioned he was “sad” that the workforce had been unable to journey for the match.

“I want these young boys to represent the people of Morocco and the people of Africa as well,” he mentioned on the airport.

“I’ve spent the last few days doing everything possible” to facilitate the journey, he added.

Motsepe mentioned Algerian officers had instructed him they have been wanting into it, however “they said this is a sovereign matter.”

While in Rabat, the CAF and FIFA chiefs additionally attended the draw for the FIFA Club World Cup, set to start out in Morocco on February 1.

Morocco made historical past final month by changing into the primary African or Arab workforce ever to succeed in the semi-finals of a World Cup.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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