Neighbouring Morocco and Algeria are locked in a bitter rivalry partly over Western Sahara, the place the Algiers-backed Polisario motion seeks an independence referendum.

Rabat sees Western Sahara as an integral a part of the dominion and a extremely delicate problem of safety and nationwide pleasure.

On Friday, on the opening ceremony of the CHAN soccer match in Algeria, a speech by the grandson of the late South African chief Nelson Mandela triggered anger in Morocco.

“Let us fight to free Western Sahara from oppression,” Mandla Mandela instructed the group on the stadium in Constantine named after his grandfather, South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

“Don’t forget the last colony of Africa, Western Sahara,” he added.

Morocco’s soccer federation referred to as the assertion “provocative”.

On Sunday, CAF mentioned it “will investigate and look into the political statements and events at the opening ceremony of the TotalEnergies CHAN Algeria 2022”.

CAF confused its place is “to be neutral on matters of a political nature.”

Morocco on Friday determined to not ship its under-23 crew to the CHAN match after Algeria refused to authorise a direct flight from Rabat.

Algeria broke off diplomatic ties with Morocco in August 2021 and closed its airspace to all Moroccan flights the next month.

CHAN organisers mentioned the crew may have taken an oblique flight.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions’ under-23 crew received the final two CHAN tournaments.

bha/pjm