Algeria–Morocco football rivalry

Algeria–Morocco football rivalry
Location	CAF (Africa); UNAF (North Africa)
Teams	Algeria; Morocco
First meeting	Algeria 0–0 Morocco; Friendly; 31 October 1965
Latest meeting	Morocco 2–2 Algeria; 2021 FIFA Arab Cup; 11 December 2021
Statistics
Meetings total	30
Most wins	Morocco (10)
All-time series	Algeria: 9; Draw: 11; Morocco: 10
	Algeria Morocco

The Algeria–Morocco football rivalry is a football rivalry between the national football teams of Algeria and Morocco, having achieved three Africa Cup of Nations and two Arab Cups between the two countries.^[1]

Background

The football rivalry between Algeria and Morocco is deeply intertwined with the political standoff between the two nations.^[2]^[3] Relations between Algeria and Morocco have long been strained due to political differences due to the Sand War and feuds over Western Sahara, the latter saw Algeria backed the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic led by Polisario against Morocco.^[4]^[5] In 2021, Algeria and Morocco severed diplomatic ties and have maintained the standoff since.^[6]

Several football incidents have also been related to this standoff. During the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, two Moroccan journalists were denied entry to watch Morocco's football games, sparking outrage in Morocco.^[7] In 2023, then-defending champions Morocco withdrew from the 2022 African Nations Championship hosted in Algeria after Algeria refused to open airspace for Moroccan carrier.^[8] A year later, a supposed 2023–24 CAF Confederation Cup semi-final game between USM Alger and RS Berkane was unable to take part after a shirt dispute, with the Moroccan representative wearing their jerseys supporting Moroccan claim of Western Sahara; subsequently, USM Alger was disqualified and Berkane walked straight to the final.^[9]

Matches

While both Algeria and Morocco are frequent participants in the Africa Cup of Nations, the two nations have only once participated together at the FIFA World Cup, which occurred in 1986. They've also faced just twice in the FIFA World Cup qualification, which occurred in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Morocco lead the head-to-head record with 10 wins compared to Algeria's 9, with 11 other matches ended in draws.

#	Date	Location	Home Team	Score	Away team	Competition
1	31 October 1965 (1965-10-31)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	0–0	Morocco	Friendly
2	6 March 1966 (1966-03-06)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	1–0	Algeria
3	24 November 1966 (1966-11-24)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	2–2	Morocco
4	11 September 1967 (1967-09-11)	Tunis, Tunisia	Algeria	3–1	Morocco	1967 Mediterranean Games
5	17 March 1968 (1968-03-17)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	0–0	Algeria	Friendly
6	9 March 1969 (1969-03-09)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	2–0	Morocco	1970 African Cup of Nations qualification
7	22 March 1969 (1969-03-22)	Agadir, Morocco	Morocco	1–0	Algeria	1970 African Cup of Nations qualification
8	31 October 1969 (1969-10-31)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	1–0	Morocco	Friendly
9	10 December 1970 (1970-12-10)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	3–1	Morocco	1972 African Cup of Nations qualification
10	27 December 1970 (1970-12-27)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	3–0	Algeria	1972 African Cup of Nations qualification
11	31 October 1973 (1973-10-31)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	2–0	Morocco	Friendly
12	7 April 1974 (1974-04-07)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	2–0	Algeria
13	31 October 1974 (1974-10-31)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	0–0	Morocco
14	9 December 1979 (1979-12-09)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	1–5	Algeria	1980 Summer Olympics qualification
15	7 April 1974 (1974-04-07)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	3–0	Morocco	1980 Summer Olympics qualification
16	13 March 1980 (1980-03-13)	Ibadan, Nigeria	Algeria	1–0	Morocco	1980 African Cup of Nations
17	8 March 1986 (1986-03-08)	Alexandria, Egypt	Algeria	0–0	Morocco	1986 African Cup of Nations
18	16 March 1988 (1988-03-16)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	1–0	Algeria	1988 African Cup of Nations
19	26 March 1988 (1988-03-26)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	1–1 (3–4 p)	Algeria	1988 African Cup of Nations
20	22 March 1989 (1989-03-22)	Béjaïa, Algeria	Algeria	1–1	Morocco	Friendly
21	25 May 1989 (1989-05-25)	Kenitra, Morocco	Morocco	1–0	Algeria
22	3 April 1991 (1991-04-03)	Annaba, Algeria	Algeria	2–2	Morocco
23	26 December 1991 (1991-12-26)	Casablanca, Morocco	Morocco	1–1	Algeria
24	22 September 1993 (1993-09-22)	Rabat, Morocco	Morocco	0–0	Algeria
25	9 July 2000 (2000-07-09)	Fes, Morocco	Morocco	2–1	Algeria	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
26	4 May 2001 (2001-05-04)	Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	1–2	Morocco	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
27	8 February 2004 (2004-02-08)	Sfax, Tunisia	Morocco	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Algeria	2004 African Cup of Nations
28	27 March 2011 (2011-03-27)	Annaba, Algeria	Algeria	1–0	Morocco	2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
29	4 June 2011 (2011-06-04)	Marrakesh, Morocco	Morocco	4–0	Algeria	2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
30	11 December 2021 (2021-12-11)	Doha, Qatar	Morocco	2–2 (3–5 p)	Algeria	2021 FIFA Arab Cup

References

^ "Algeria v Morocco head to head". 11v11. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
^ "North African standoff: How the Western Sahara conflict is fuelling new tensions between Morocco and Algeria". 8 April 2022.
^ "Morocco-Algeria rivalry: Dusting off the roots of a historical dispute". 15 March 2024.
^ "Morocco and Algeria: The "long lasting" Sand War". 24 January 2023.
^ "Western Sahara : Polisario, Algeria, Iran, the triangle of instability – Sahel Intelligence".
^ "Growing tension between Morocco and Algeria". 15 March 2025.
^ https://www.newarab.com/analysis/how-football-fell-victim-algeria-and-moroccos-rivalry
^ Onyeagwara, Nnamdi (12 January 2023). "Morocco withdraw from African Nations Championship amid Algeria tensions". The New York Times.
^ "Morocco, Algeria shirt dispute leads to second CAF Cup match cancellation". 29 April 2024.

[1] "Algeria v Morocco head to head". 11v11. Retrieved 28 April 2025.

[2] "North African standoff: How the Western Sahara conflict is fuelling new tensions between Morocco and Algeria". 8 April 2022.

[3] "Morocco-Algeria rivalry: Dusting off the roots of a historical dispute". 15 March 2024.

[4] "Morocco and Algeria: The "long lasting" Sand War". 24 January 2023.

[5] "Western Sahara : Polisario, Algeria, Iran, the triangle of instability – Sahel Intelligence".

[6] "Growing tension between Morocco and Algeria". 15 March 2025.

[7] ttps://www.newarab.com/analysis/how-football-fell-victim-algeria-and-moroccos-rivalry

[8] Onyeagwara, Nnamdi (12 January 2023). "Morocco withdraw from African Nations Championship amid Algeria tensions". The New York Times.

[9] "Morocco, Algeria shirt dispute leads to second CAF Cup match cancellation". 29 April 2024.

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v t e Algeria national football team
General	Algerian Football Federation History Managers Kits
Venues	Stade du 5 Juillet Miloud Hadefi Stadium Nelson Mandela Stadium Home venues
Results	Results 1962–69 1970–79 1980–89 1990–99 2000–09 2010–19 2020–present
Statistics	Records and statistics All-time goalscorers Head to head World Cup record
Goals	Islam Slimani
Players	Players (by caps) Other players Algerian foreign players Born outside algeria
World Cup Finals	Summary 1982 1986 2010 2014
CAN Finals	Summary 1968 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2010 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Other Cup's tournaments	African Nations Championship FIFA Arab Cup
Games's tournaments	Olympic Games African Games Mediterranean Games Arab Games
Culture	Disgrace of Gijón
Noted rivalries	Egypt Cameroon Morocco Nigeria Tunisia
Other FAF teams	Men A' U-23 U-20 U-17 U-15 FLN "defunct" Women U-20 U-17 Futsal Beach soccer

v t e Morocco national football team
General	Royal Moroccan Football Federation History Managers Captains
Venues	Home venues
Statistics	Records and statistics All-time record World Cup record Africa Cup of Nations record Results 1957–1989 1990–2019 2020–present
Players	All-time players Previous squads Other categories Morocco foreign players
World Finals	Summary 1970 1986 1994 1998 2018 2022
Africa Cup of Nations Finals	Summary 1972 1976 1978 1980 1986 1988 1992 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2012 2013 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
Culture	Noted matches Rivalry with Algeria Rivalry with Spain
Other FRMF teams	Local team U23 team U20 team U17 team Futsal Beach soccer
Women teams	First team U20 team U17 team

Background

Matches

See also

References