First Independent Mena Newspaper
When you lack achievements at home, you celebrate your neighbor’s failures. Nothing captures the state-sponsored reaction to Morocco’s AFCON final defeat better than this saying. As Senegal lifted the trophy after a controversial match, thousands of Algerians, mostly young people, poured into the streets, honking car horns, lighting fireworks, and rejoicing as if their own […]
Morocco is emerging, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, as a reliable partner and a global peacemaker in the New World Order taking shape. Building on its strong strategic partnership with Washington, its growing military capabilities and competitive industrial ecosystems, Rabat takes on a key role in the new international paradigm, bringing in […]
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has not only showcased Morocco’s organizational success but also exposed a growing surge of conspiracy‑driven narratives among certain African football federations. What began as made-up complaints escalated into a pattern of unverified accusations, particularly from Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria, even as Morocco received international praise for its hosting standards. […]
Afcon 2025 success, a showcase for Morocco’s 2030 World Cup readinessMorocco’s staging of the continent’s most successful African Cup of Nations has demonstrated the readiness of the country for the World Cup and showcased its world-class stadiums and infrastructure. The tournament has served as a large‑scale rehearsal for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, revealing a […]
Algeria’s latest football humiliation in Marrakesh during the African Cup of Nations gave way to a spate of conspiracy theories by the Algerian media, commentators and politicians. When faced with defeat on the pitch by an outplaying Nigerian squad, the country’s media ecosystem prefers delusion over self reflection. The Super Eagles dominated possession, imposed superior […]
Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who came to power in 2019 amid a deep legitimacy crisis, is following the typical tactics of autocrats in seeking to reshape the constitution to secure his own political survival. Tebboune henchmen call it a “technical adjustment,” a euphemism that plays down an attempt to manipulate the political calendar and stretch his time […]
The United States is stepping up pressure on Algeria to rethink its position on the Sahara, as Washington reaffirms its full support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory and its autonomy plan. In a new interview with the Lebanese newspaper Annahar, Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, made it […]
South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has recognized the success of the 2025 Africa Nations Cup Morocco is hosting, saying he is impressed by the “exceptional” and “ the world-class” tournament the Kingdom is delivering. In a letter posted on his X account, the South African minister dealt a hard blow […]
Several Algerian TV channels appear to have hit the limit as they try to cover the African Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco without ever acknowledging, visually or narratively, the country hosting it. Followers of Algerian media get the impression that the current continental tournament has no host nation as if it was held in […]
Tunisian opposition figures and civil society activists are sounding the alarm over what they describe as Algeria’s creeping interference in Tunisia’s domestic affairs. Former President Moncef Marzouki has repeatedly warned that Algiers “never stopped intervening” and called recent pro-Saïed rallies involving Algerian demonstrators a “flagrant act of interference.” Lawyers and political commentators echo these concerns, […]