Calls to boycott the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to be held in Morocco, resurfaced on Thursday evening during a Finance Committee session in the House of Representatives dedicated to reviewing the 2026 Finance Bill. Responding to questions from MPs, the Minister Delegate for the Budget and President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, pointed to Algeria, «Morocco's competitor in organizing this sporting event», as the source of the boycott campaign. «Since then, this competitor has been trying to prove that we are incapable of hosting AFCON 2025. It began with a whole conspiracy around stray dogs, supposed delays in stadium construction… Even when we inaugurated the Prince Moulay Abdellah complex in Rabat, they claimed the photos were fake», Lekjaa recalled. The minister stressed that «the players they are calling to boycott are our own sons» noting that «the national team represents all regions of Morocco. The under-20 squad, for instance, includes a player from Aït Bouguemmaz, another from Khemisset, and others from across the country». He then asked pointedly, «What has Achraf Hakimi done to deserve a boycott? Is he not from Ksar El Kebir?» Lekjaa further underlined that AFCON 2025 represents a major opportunity for Morocco, creating an additional tourism season after the summer. «The projects tied to AFCON and the 2030 World Cup generate jobs and drive economic growth», he said. His remarks come amid earlier calls from some Gen Z protesters in early October urging a boycott of both AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup.
