Rabat — In an unsurprising statement from Algeria’s regime, after their AFCON defeat to Nigeria, the Algerian government commented that the world witnessed “shameful practices” during the competition in Morocco.
Algerian communication minister Zoheir Bouamama took to Facebook to share his frustration over his country’s elimination by Nigeria from the tournament.
Nigeria disqualified Algeria 2-0 in a thrilling quarterfinal marked with tension as Algerian players displayed anger and protested every whistle match officials made during the game.
The heated reactions of Algerian players were also a contributing disturbance, costing the Fennec Foxes a total of five yellow cards.
Many sports-focused websites acknowledged how the Algerian team picked up the yellow cards, mostly out of frustration.
There was also a consensus that Nigeria was firmly in control, comfortably overwhelming Algeria during the game.
Critics alleged the referee should have offered a penalty kick to Algeria during the first half concerning player Ajayi. However, several reports cited how the match officials stressed the ball had initially struck his thigh “before deflecting onto his arm, a crucial distinction under current handball regulations.”
In an attempt to politicize sports, the Algerian minister shamed the competition while making an announcement that the Algerian team is now preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place in a few months.
“We hope it will be governed by fair and honorable sporting competition, far from the shameful practices the world has witnessed, and is still witnessing, which have unfortunately harmed African football, Africans, and th noble values of sport,” the minister said.
The Algerian Football Federation joined the minister, saying it “cannot overlook the referring decisions in the last match.”
The federation alleged that the situation “undermined the credibility of African refereeing and did not serve the image of African football internationally.”
These complaints come amid international reports not only documenting Algerian players’ violent reactions against referees on the pitch, but also unruly conduct from fans in the stands.
Videos document fans frustrated in the stadiums, slurring and tearing Moroccan banknotes to allege the game was fixed while attempting to storm the pitch in a fit of rage.