This should not ease tensions between Algeria and Morocco. If Walid Regragui, the coach of the Atlas Lions, had tried to calm things down a few days ago at a press conference, when the prospect of a Maghreb derby was still possible in the semi-final, the geopolitical disagreements and nationalist rivalries opposing the two countries for several years continue to punctuate the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
New episode this Monday: an Algerian supporter, filmed tearing up Moroccan bank notes last Saturday after the elimination of the Fennecs in the quarter-finals against Nigeria (0-2), was arrested by the local police, according to information from the media Le 360.
The video of this Greens fan of British nationality went viral this weekend in Morocco, the provocative gesture – implying that the referee of the match was bought by the host country of the competition – having been very poorly received within the Shereef kingdom.
A direct attack on a national symbol
Identified by the authorities, the man was arrested by the security services of the city of Casablanca at the heart of Mohammed V airport before being handed over to the authorities of Marrakech, scene of Saturday’s meeting. Placed in police custody, he is now at the disposal of the general prosecutor’s office near the Court of Appeal. According to the Moroccan media Le Matin, the suspect admitted the facts with which he was accused during the preliminary investigation.
In Morocco, tearing up currency constitutes a direct attack on a national symbol. The incriminated Fennecs supporter is therefore exposed to legal proceedings and criminal sanctions. We now have to wait for the police’s first conclusions before launching possible legal proceedings.
