To amplify accusations of racism against Moroccan players and coach Walid Regragui after a heated match, Algerian state television aired a fabricated statement falsely attributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Football Federation. The incident between the Moroccan and Democratic Republic of Congo national teams following their Sunday match has dominated Algerian media, with accusations and belittlement directed towards the Moroccan players and coach, Walid Regragui. Yesterday, Algerian state television aired a report filled with inflammatory language, labelling the Moroccan team's actions as «a blatant moral failure» and «disgraceful behavior». They specifically targeted Regragui, claiming he «started a quarrel» with a Congolese player. le faux communiqué FECOFA, les fantasmes sur l'argent sale Marocain à la CAF. Alors que jamais nos télés nationales ne parlent de l'Algérie de cette manière, eux font tapis avec toutes les insultes possibles. pic.twitter.com/UHaCCvPBQF — usain (@us_ain) January 23, 2024 Further amplifying these accusations, Algerian television broadcast a false report purportedly from the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA), portraying it as a «strongly worded statement denouncing Regragui's racism». However, the original FECOFA statement never mentions racism, simply stating that their captain, Chancel Mbemba, faced «inappropriate expressions» after the match. Amplifying accusations of racism Furthermore, Algerian television presented its own version of events between Regragui and Mbemba, despite Mbemba himself refusing to disclose details. They even went as far as alleging Mbemba accused Regragui and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) of using «bribes» and «drug money» to influence matches. It's important to note that CAF has launched an investigation into the post-match incident, and both the FRMF and FECOFA have issued statements. The FRMF emphasized the «distinguished and historical relations» between the two countries and condemned «all unsportsmanlike behavior», while FECOFA focused on Mbemba's experience of «inappropriate expressions». It's worth mentioning that this isn't the first instance of Algerian media targeting Morocco with false information. Recent examples include an unsubstantiated report of Cyprus issuing arrest warrants for senior Moroccan officials. Algerian media also made false claims about the FRMF funding the Mauritanian team's CAN participation, which prompted denial from the Mauritanian Football Federation. Prior to these incidents, Algerian state media often ignored the Moroccan national team altogether, as was the case during the 2022 World Cup.
