Morocco forward apologises after Algeria-themed social media post

Samir Bouhoudane has apologised to Algeria supporters after sharing an image interpreted as mocking the national team following Morocco’s 3-1 victory in the UNAF U20 tournament.

The 18-year-old forward, who plays for Jong PSV, reposted the image on his Instagram story shortly after Wednesday’s match in Egypt. The picture, which had originally been published by another account, had been generated using artificial intelligence.

It showed Bouhoudane holding a fennec by the back of its neck, an apparent reference to the nickname of Algeria’s national team, the Fennecs.

The post quickly attracted attention because of the longstanding rivalry between Morocco and Algeria. Several Algerian supporters criticised the image, describing it as provocative and disrespectful towards their team.

Bouhoudane subsequently removed the post and issued an apology in another Instagram story.

“I would like to apologise to the Algerian supporters for my post. I did not know what the thing I shared meant and I did not intend to disrespect anyone,” he said.

“I was simply happy about the victory. I am sorry if I offended anyone; that was really not my intention.”

The young forward said he had shared the image in the excitement of Morocco’s win without understanding how it could be interpreted.

The controversy followed Morocco’s third match in the UNAF U20 tournament, which is being used to qualify for the next CAN U20. The Atlas Cubs secured a 3-1 victory over their North African neighbours in Egypt.

That result gave Morocco an important boost in their qualification campaign. For Algeria, however, the defeat has left their position considerably more difficult.

The Young Fennecs must respond in their final match against hosts Egypt if they are to maintain their hopes of reaching the CAN U20.

The match was a fiercely contested North African derby on the pitch, but the rivalry continued after the final whistle, with the incident involving Bouhoudane adding a social-media dimension to the fixture.