Morocco will not take part in the 2023 edition of the CHAN, which will be held in Algeria from January 13 to February 4. A statement from the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF) has just decided on this issue after the final authorization of the Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight from Rabat to Constantine has not been confirmed.The Moroccan football team is not able to travel to Constantine, Algeria to compete in the 7th edition of the African Nations Football Championship (CHAN) to be held in Algeria from 13 January to 4 February 2023 and defend its title. The final authorization of the team Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight, the official carrier of the Moroccan Football Selections, from Rabat to Constantine has not been confirmed, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced in a statement.

The FRMF indicates that “following its request for authorization of a RAM flight from Rabat to Constantine, the federation was informed on December 22, 2022 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as the body in charge of organizing the CHAN 2022, that an authorization in principle had been obtained,” it said.

Based on this authorization in principle, the FRMF has “communicated the details of the plan and flight coordinates of the Moroccan selection in order to obtain the final authorization of the RAM flight from Rabat to Constantine and continued the preparation of the trip and the participation of the Moroccan selection in the CHAN 2022, including the training course at the Complex Mohammed VI of Football in Sale from 6 to 10 January 2023 during which two friendly matches against Ethiopia were played,” the same source said.

“While the movement of the Moroccan selection from Rabat to Constantine is organized by the FRMF and the kick-off of the CHAN 2022 is scheduled for January 13, 2023, that is to say in 24 hours, the FRMF notes with regret that the obtaining of the definitive authorization of the RAM flight from Rabat to Constantine has unfortunately still not been confirmed by CAF,” the FRMF concludes.

As a reminder, the Board of Directors of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), meeting on December 27, 2022, had taken a decision on the participation of Morocco in the CHAN 2022, to ensure the travel of the Moroccan selection from Rabat to Constantine on board a RAM flight.

Morocco is the defending champion of the two previous editions of CHAN, a competition for local players.

As a reminder, Moroccan planes are banned from flying over Algerian airspace since September 2021, a measure taken by Algeria after the suspension of its diplomatic relations with Morocco in August of the same year.