{"id":25332,"date":"2023-03-07T11:42:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T11:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/03\/07\/morocco-avoid-ban-over-no-show-in-algeria\/"},"modified":"2023-03-07T11:42:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T11:42:13","slug":"morocco-avoid-ban-over-no-show-in-algeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/03\/07\/morocco-avoid-ban-over-no-show-in-algeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Morocco avoid ban over no-show in Algeria"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Morocco players spent hours waiting at Rabat Airport hoping for last-minute permission to fly but were eventually disappointed
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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will not sanction Morocco for their no-show at this year\u2019s Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) in Algeria.<\/p>\n

In a statement, CAF said its disciplinary board had found the North Africans failed to participate in the tournament, \u201cdue to circumstances totally beyond their control, and as such no sanction of whatsoever nature is imposed on the Royal Moroccan Federation.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHAN is a tournament exclusive to players playing in their national domestic leagues.<\/p>\n

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Morocco withdrew on the eve of the competition after being denied permission to\u00a0fly into Algeria from their capital Rabat using the country\u2019s national carrier Royal Air Maroc, as a political spat spilled over into football.<\/p>\n

The two neighbouring countries have been embroiled in a diplomatic row and in 2021 Algeria severed ties with Morocco, a move which included suspending direct flights in both directions.<\/p>\n

Failure to honour their place could have resulted in the two-time CHAN champions being banned from the next edition, an outcome they have escaped.<\/p>\n

Caf also dismissed the Algerian Football Federation\u2019s (FAF) claim for damages.<\/p>\n

Mandela\u2019s political remarks in Mandela Stadium<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, FAF also avoided a possible sanction for political remarks made by Nelson Mandela\u2019s grandson,\u00a0Zwelivelile Mandela, at the tournament\u2019s opening ceremony, held in the newly-opened Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mandela caused a political row when he said as part of his speech, \u201cThe last colony of Africa, Western Sahara, let us fight to free Western Sahara from oppression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Western Sahara, a sparsely populated area situated on the northwest coast of Africa, has been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people, with Algeria backing the Saharawi\u2019s claim for independence.<\/p>\n

Caf has reiterated a warning that politics must be kept out of its events in future.<\/p>\n

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