That foolish “Khawa-Khawa” slogan: when naivety crashes into reality
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was rich in lessons. Hard lessons, sometimes bitter, but necessary ones. Among them, one truth now stands out clearly: excessive kindness, complacency and angelic thinking protect neither respect, nor justice, nor dignity.
The hollow slogan of “Khawa-Khawa” (we are all brothers), waved around at every opportunity, has once again proved unable to withstand the test of reality. Football, a magnifying mirror of human relations and rivalries, has reminded us of a truth that some still refuse to acknowledge: proclaimed brotherhood is meaningless when it is not reciprocal.
This AFCON showed that one-sided kindness is often seen not as nobility, but as weakness. That an outstretched hand can be ignored, despised or even trampled when the other side is driven by jealousy, resentment or opportunistic calculations. Respect is not decreed through slogans; it is imposed through clarity, firmness and equality of treatment.
This is not about renouncing human values, nor about promoting hatred or withdrawal. It is about rejecting hypocrisy. About understanding that living together can only exist if it is based on reciprocity, responsibility and mutual respect. Without these, it is nothing more than a fragile facade, ready to collapse at the first shock.
Morocco, an exemplary host with flawless organization, open infrastructures and generous hospitality, did more than its share. Perhaps too much. This CAN proved that the time has come to reset the clock, to move beyond outdated romanticism and to adopt a lucid, dignified and unapologetic stance.
Sincere fraternity is a strength. Political and sporting naivety is a trap. And now the message is clear: respect is built by two sides, or it is not built at all.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
