What Algeria’s football debacle tells about regime’s sportswashing?
Algeria was eliminated from the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) after a defeat by Mauritania, in a football debacle that many observers saw coming except the military regime and its propaganda machine along with many Algerians who are trapped in a disinformation bubble.
Desperate for whatsoever gains to deviate attention from the dire economic and social reality suffered by Algerians, the military regime in Algiers under the leadership of Chengriha and his civilian puppet Tebboune has often relied on sportswashing.
Sportswashing by political regimes refers to hosting sports events or taking part in competitions with the aim to serve propaganda campaigns and stoke chauvinistic sentiments.
Prior to the African Cup of Nations, Algerian media spoke with disdain against their opponents and put political pressure on players led by coach Belmadi.
Just like their political leaders, sports commentators speaking to millions of Algerians on private and state-owned TV channels obsessively deployed conspiracy theories to explain the mediocre performance of their national team, invoking Morocco every now and then.
Leaving a championship after a loss is part of the game and sportsmanship. But not for many Algerians. This AFCON was more than a simple sports event for the regime and its henchmen, who were desperate for an event that would help polish the image of a military-ruled state and deviate attention from the government’s failure to offer a dignified life to its citizens.
As he braces for a second term with no tangible economic or democratic achievements to build on, Tebboune was desperate for an international breakthrough and saw a chance in AFCON, especially after the multiple diplomatic setbacks by Algeria at the international stage and in its own African neighborhood.
To mention but a few, Algeria failed to join BRICS as arrogantly promised by its president and its influence over the Sahel neighbors came to an end after Niger and Mali in particular rejected Algiers’ mediation.
Another worrying trend revealed during the AFCON 2023 was the rampant racism prevailing among many Algerian fans.
Emulating their political leaders in uttering racist slurs, many Algerian influencers became notorious for their disdain and racist comments on social media. These comments triggered condemnation from other African fans and led Côte d’Ivoire authorities to act.
The defeat of the Algerian football team should serve as a wake-up call for a regime that has used sports to destroy bridges with nations such as Morocco and African neighbors.
In 2019, Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate Algeria’s win of the African cup of nations. But in 2024, when Mauritania won against Algeria, most Moroccans watching the match in cafes backed their other neighbor, Nouakchott, after they saw the scale of state sponsored Morocco-phobia and the demonization of their country in official Algerian media.
In yet a new ridiculous expression of hostility to anything Moroccan, the Algerian radio has doubled down on what they did during Morocco’s memorable World Cup run. This time, Algeria’s official radio censured Moroccan matches when it published the list of games scheduled on Wednesday, intentionally omitting to mention the match opposing the Atlas Lions to Zambia.
What will they do if Morocco reaches more advanced stages at the ongoing AFCON?
