Moroccan commentators have criticized what they describe as the rapid political and media escalation in Algeria over unverified reports that an Algerian football supporter was assaulted by Moroccan fans following Morocco’s World Cup victory over the Netherlands in Boston.
The criticism comes after Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Algeria’s embassy in Washington had contacted U.S. authorities to ensure that the incident is properly investigated.
Videos circulating on social media claimed that a 14-year-old supporter of Algerian origin and a U.S. citizen was attacked by a group of Moroccan fans in a fan zone after the match. However, as of Wednesday, no U.S. law enforcement agency or judicial authority had publicly confirmed the incident or released findings regarding the allegations.
Moroccan commentators argued that sections of the Algerian media and public figures embraced the allegations before they had been independently verified, turning the reported incident into what they described as a political issue despite the absence of official confirmation from U.S. authorities.
They also questioned the authenticity of some videos circulating online, claiming that footage from different times and locations had been compiled and shared in ways that could misrepresent events.
The commentary accused several Algerian media outlets and social media accounts of amplifying an unverified narrative while criticizing sports commentator Hafid Derradji for comments they said portrayed Moroccan supporters negatively.
The article argued that, regardless of whether an altercation ultimately occurred, there is a significant difference between an isolated incident involving football fans and claims of a coordinated assault involving dozens of people.
It also said that no major U.S. news organizations had reported the alleged incident at the time of publication, emphasizing that official findings from American authorities remain pending.
The commentary further argued that the episode reflects a broader pattern of political and media tensions between Morocco and Algeria, in which social media claims are quickly amplified before being independently verified.
Neither U.S. authorities nor Moroccan officials had publicly commented on the allegations by the time the article was published.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.