Morocco FA President Fouzi Lekjaa Declares End to CAF Hosting Bids Amid Bias Allegations

Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Royal Federation of Football (FRMF), has made a definitive break from continental hosting ambitions, stating that Morocco will cease submitting bids for any future CAF-organised tournaments with immediate effect.

Speaking during an interview with Al Jazeera 360, Lekjaa issued an unequivocal declaration: “Starting today, Morocco will no longer submit any bids to host African competitions, regardless of their nature. If other countries wish to organise them, we wish them the best.”

The announcement comes in direct response to mounting criticism and allegations that Morocco exercises a disproportionate and undue level of influence over the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Lekjaa pushed back firmly against those claims, stating that Morocco has no effective representation in CAF’s operational committees and that his personal position as head of CAF’s finance committee is rooted solely in his professional expertise.

Lekjaa also defended Morocco’s recent hosting record, arguing that the country repeatedly absorbed the logistical burden of major tournaments when no other nation stepped forward. In recent years, Morocco has staged the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2024 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The allegations of systemic bias against CAF came to a head during the 2025 AFCON, which Morocco hosted. Refereeing decisions throughout the tournament drew widespread scrutiny, with tensions peaking in the final against Senegal. Following a walk-off by the Senegalese squad amid on-field disputes, the CAF Appeal Board ruled to strip Senegal of the title and awarded Morocco a 3-0 administrative victory, handing the hosts the championship.

The controversy surrounding the 2025 AFCON final represents one of the most turbulent episodes in recent CAF history, raising broader questions about governance, officiating standards, and the concentration of hosting duties within a single member association. Senegal, one of Africa’s most formidable football nations and reigning FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists, found themselves at the centre of an outcome determined off the pitch rather than on it.

With Morocco stepping back from continental event hosting, Nigeria is set to host the next edition of the CAF Awards, according to reports. The shift in hosting responsibilities could signal a broader redistribution of African football’s marquee events across the continent.

Morocco’s attentions are now firmly directed toward global football’s biggest stages. The country is preparing to host the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal — a trio of tournaments that will represent an unprecedented period of major international football on Moroccan soil.

Lekjaa’s decision effectively draws a line under a chapter of Moroccan football history defined by continental service, while simultaneously framing the country’s future ambitions around world football rather than African competition governance. Whether his withdrawal from CAF hosting bids will ease tensions with other African federations, or whether the underlying disputes over influence and governance will persist, remains to be seen.