AFCON: Algeria caught red handed

During the match between Algeria and Equatorial Guinea at the Moulay Hassan Stadium, organizers discovered that two official match balls had gone missing. This was an unprecedented incident at a continental competition of this level. An internal investigation, using surveillance cameras, quickly uncovered unworthy behavior: a member of the Algerian technical staff was filmed stealing a ball during halftime.

Caught in the act, the Algerian staff first tried to deny the facts, faithful to a culture of evasion and lying that has become almost institutional. It took the direct intervention of a CAF official, backed by video evidence, to force those responsible to admit the facts and return the ball.

This incident, which might seem anecdotal, is in reality heavy with symbolism. It illustrates a mentality deeply rooted in the Algerian sporting apparatus, where permanent victimhood goes hand in hand with a blatant disregard for rules, sporting ethics and the respect owed to organizers.

While Morocco is offering Africa an exemplary AFCON in logistical, security and organizational terms, the Algerian team seems unable to rid itself of hostile, provocative and now ridiculous behavior. After sterile controversies, unfounded accusations and paranoid rhetoric, Algerian football now finds itself illustrated by petty acts caught on camera.

This affair is neither a mistake nor an accident. It fits into a broader pattern, that of a military regime exporting its harmful practices even into locker rooms and onto football pitches. Failing to shine through play, Algeria sadly stands out through scandals that tarnish its image and further undermine its credibility.

Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv