Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation, known for his hostile attitude towards Algeria, seems to mock the CAF while adhering to FIFA rules.
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) quickly expressed its outrage at the behavior of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) in the case of the Confederation Cup semi-final match between USM Alger and Renaissance de Berkane. In a firm statement, the FAF condemned the lack of ethics and the duplicity of Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the FRMF, in this matter.
The FAF highlighted the FRMF’s blatant disregard for the African Football Confederation (CAF), whereas the Moroccan Federation adopts a more reserved attitude in competitions under FIFA’s auspices. This dichotomy reveals hypocritical and opportunistic behavior on the part of Fouzi Lekjaa, according to the FAF.
A recent example of this double standard is the issue of providing jerseys for the Moroccan women’s national under-17 team. The FRMF failed to include the map of Morocco on the jerseys, contrasting with the politicization of the CAF semi-final between USM Alger and Renaissance de Berkane, where the Moroccan club included a map of Western Sahara. This political manipulation provoked a strong response from Algerian authorities and the FAF.
It is clear that Fouzi Lekjaa adopts a contradictory approach in his actions. On one hand, he appears to influence CAF affairs while avoiding controversies in FIFA competitions. On the other hand, he uses the CAF as a means to target Algeria both sportively and politically.
The FAF also recalled events at the end of year ceremony, where Fouzi Lekjaa downplayed the achievements of Algerian football in 2023 and politicized the CAF Cup semi-final match between USM Alger and Renaissance de Berkane by inserting a fictitious map into the Moroccan club’s jerseys.
These actions raise questions about Fouzi Lekjaa’s true intentions and highlight his role in clubs and national teams. The referral of the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could potentially change the dynamics behind the scenes at the CAF.
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