Morocco was denied hosting rights of 2010 World Cup – Fouzi Lekjaa

Morocco Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa has reignited debate over the controversial race to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, claiming Morocco came extremely close to securing the tournament before questionable events unfolded during the final stages of the selection process.

Speaking about Morocco’s unsuccessful bid, Lekjaa suggested that the North African nation may have been denied the opportunity to host football’s biggest event under controversial circumstances.

“Morocco was very close to hosting the 2010 World Cup, but in the final moments of the decision, something controversial happened during the announcement process. Those involved eventually faced the consequences. I won’t go into all the details,” Lekjaa said.

The remarks have brought renewed attention to one of the most debated chapters in FIFA’s history. Morocco was one of the leading contenders to host the 2010 World Cup, which was ultimately awarded to South Africa following a vote by FIFA’s Executive Committee in Zurich on May 15, 2004. Officially, South Africa secured 14 votes to Morocco’s 10, becoming the first African nation to host the tournament.

Lekjaa’s comments appear to reference long-standing allegations surrounding the bidding process that resurfaced during the FIFA corruption scandals that shook world football more than a decade later.

In 2015, reports emerged claiming that Morocco may actually have won the vote before the results were allegedly manipulated. Former FIFA executive committee member Ismail Bhamjee was quoted in leaked recordings suggesting that discussions among voting members after the ballot indicated Morocco had received more support than officially announced.

The recordings fuelled allegations that the votes may have been deliberately miscounted, although those claims were never conclusively proven.

The controversy formed part of a wider period of scrutiny surrounding FIFA’s governance, with numerous officials investigated and sanctioned amid corruption investigations that engulfed the organisation.

Lekjaa alluded to this when he noted that those involved eventually “faced the consequences,” without identifying any specific individuals.

The Moroccan football chief’s comments have resonated strongly within Morocco, where many supporters continue to believe the country was unfairly denied the opportunity to host the tournament. The 2010 bid represented Morocco’s fourth attempt to bring the World Cup to the country after previous unsuccessful campaigns for the 1994, 1998 and 2006 editions.

Despite the disappointment, Morocco remained committed to hosting major international football events. The nation continued investing heavily in football infrastructure and development, eventually earning the right to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

Morocco has also established itself as one of Africa’s leading football powers, highlighted by its historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lekjaa’s latest remarks are likely to reignite discussion over whether Morocco was denied its chance to host the first World Cup staged on African soil.

While South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2010 tournament remains a landmark moment in African football history, questions surrounding the bidding process continue to linger more than two decades after the vote.

For many Moroccans, Lekjaa’s comments serve as a reminder of what remains one of the country’s most painful sporting disappointments, even as it prepares to welcome the world in 2030.