A post published on X shortly after the AFCON final quickly went viral, accusing Morocco's national airline of disrupting return flights for African fans, hinting at a possible «retaliation». The tweet referred to a «Wi-Fi outage in airports» and a heavy military and police presence. [Debunk] DR ‹ › Days after the Africa Cup of Nations final, which saw Senegal crowned African champions against Morocco in a match marred by incidents, serious information began circulating online regarding African fans leaving the host country, Morocco, after the tournament wrapped up. One post in particular, published on January 20, claimed that several African supporters who had traveled to Morocco for the competition saw their return flights «shifted and cancelled» by Morocco's national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM). On X, a tweet written by a Kenyan journalist known as Juma G on X, stated that RAM had asked these African fans to apply for refunds, «refunds that might never be processed», she added. Beyond the flight issue, the journalist also wrote that Moroccan authorities had «switched off the airport Wi-Fi and deployed military and police officers inside the airport». A massive reach The tweet took X by storm, particularly among Senegalese users and sub-Saharan Africans, who widely retweeted and shared the post. It reached around one million views, with 7,400 shares, more than 500 replies, and 20,000 likes. A reaction that is as serious as the post's content, which hinted at «hostility» and «retaliation» against African fans following Senegal's triumph over Morocco, in an already tense atmosphere. This narrative was echoed in numerous other posts that cited Juma G's tweet. Some users even translated the claims into French to reach a wider audience. One post on X stated that «Morocco is showing hostility toward nationals of other African countries, particularly Egyptians, by changing and canceling their flights». Referring again to the alleged Wi-Fi shutdown, other posts claimed that Nigerian travelers were «forced to present their passports to prove that they were not Senegalese». These posts, too, found a large audience, with some reaching close to one million views, in addition to thousands of shares, likes, and comments. Plusieurs personnes ont rapporté que Royal Air Maroc a annulé des vols en direction de pays africains. Des policiers font des contrôles au faciès et demandent si les personnes sont sénégalaises ou non avec Hostilité. Ces gens ne doivent plus organiser aucune compétition… https://t.co/2wFBRfIloz — Congaanel ✊??? سامبا (@congaanel) January 20, 2026 No supporting evidence Many comments denounced RAM's «decision» and criticized Moroccan authorities, while others went as far as saying, «this should be the last time Morocco is allowed to host a similar tournament». Some comments were more hostile, containing insults, slurs, and hateful remarks targeting both Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans. Despite the scale of its impact and the volume of reactions it generated, Juma G's post, and similar ones circulating the same information, presented no evidence and cited no official sources, despite the seriousness of the allegations. So Morocco is being very hostile to other African nationals, including Egyptians, by shifting and canceling their flights and asking them to apply for refunds, refunds they do not even know when will be processed. They switched off the airport WiFi and deployed military and… — ??? ??????? ???? ?? (@GeneralSnow_) January 19, 2026 RAM breaks its silence The narrative circulating online was formally disputed the following day, when RAM reacted directly to the accusing tweet. Replying to the Kenyan journalist, the airline wrote: «Upon reviewing your post and after verifying Royal Air Maroc operations this week, including a period of high traffic, we confirm that flights have been operating normally». RAM went on to debunk each claim in the viral post, stating that «operations at Casablanca Airport have been smooth and fluid, with no internet outages and no security-related issues reported». «Overall, operations proceeded normally this week», the airline concluded, reassuring travelers. Despite the debunking, the damage had already been done. Royal Air Maroc's statement was viewed only 2,100 times, compared to the one million views reached by the initial accusing post. RAM also replied to a similar, later deleted, tweet, which had reached 150,000 views this time. However, although these posts were later deleted after RAM's clarifications, they were removed without any acknowledgment, apology, or follow-up correction, despite the potential consequences such they can generate both online and offline. False claims of supposed hostility by Morocco or Moroccans following the AFCON final can, and have, spilled into real-life violence. In Dakar, for example, after the penalty awarded to Morocco, a café owned by a Moroccan and hosting Moroccan supporters was pelted by a group of angry Senegalese fans, causing significant material damages. In Fez, videos showed clashes between sub-Saharan African students and Moroccan students, escalating into physical altercations after Sunday's tense final. Article modifié le 22/01/2026 à 15h11
