Present in Morocco to cover the CAN or support their teams, Algerian journalists and supporters have expressed, often with disarming sincerity, their astonishment at the country’s level of development, the quality of its infrastructure, and the hospitality shown by Moroccans. A reality shock that quickly spread across social media, creating buzz as unexpected as it is disturbing for Algiers.
Moroccan Infrastructure that Commands Respect:
Ultra-modern stadiums, training academies meeting international standards, high-level training centers, roads, transportation, smooth organization: Algerian observers have been numerous in acknowledging that Morocco has established itself as a continental reference, even a model for future CAN host countries.
Some Algerian journalists did not hesitate to describe Moroccan sports infrastructure as a “showcase of modern Africa,” highlighting a vast gap between the reality observed on the ground and the official discourse hammered out from Algiers. An observation all the more striking since Morocco has never needed flashy propaganda to assert its results: the facts speak for themselves.
Moroccan Hospitality, an Antidote to Hate Speech:
Beyond concrete, steel, and technology, it is above all Moroccan humanity that left an impression. Widely shared testimonies report spontaneous acts of solidarity and generosity: taxis paid for by Moroccan citizens, assistance offered without expectation, guidance for visitors, smiles, and availability.
Algerian journalists even acknowledged being moved by this welcome, completely at odds with the hostile and caricatured image propagated for years by the Algerian regime’s media machine. A hospitality that contrasts sharply with official rhetoric based on hate, anti-Moroccan obsession, and the creation of an imaginary enemy to mask internal failures.
The Contrast that Disturbs Algiers:
These positive testimonies, although cautious for some, caused real discomfort in Algeria. In a locked system where any acknowledgment of Moroccan achievements is seen as political betrayal, telling the truth becomes a risky act. Several Algerian observers noted that publicly expressing such favorable opinions about Morocco remains delicate, even dangerous, in a country where information is under military control.
The CAN 2025 thus acts as a harsh mirror for the Algerian regime: while Morocco advances, invests, plans, and builds, Algiers locks itself in propaganda, disinformation, and the export of its diplomatic frustrations.
Morocco’s Development, a Reality Impossible to Hide:
The Moroccan experience lived by many Algerians during this CAN has had an unexpected yet profound effect: tearing down the wall of lies. Morocco appears for what it really is: a country in full growth, structured, ambitious, capable of organizing major events, welcoming with dignity, and projecting a modern and peaceful image.
Faced with this reality, the propaganda of the Algerian military regime meets its own limits. Because one can censor media, lock TV sets, intimidate journalists… but one cannot censor what people see with their own eyes.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv