The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled the official logo for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Saturday evening, sparking a heated cultural debate.
The tournament, set to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will feature a logo inspired by “zellige,” a traditional mosaic art form associated with Morocco and North Africa.
While the logo has been promoted as a celebration of African heritage, unity, and resilience, it has reignited tensions between Morocco and Algeria over cultural ownership of zellige.
Algerian media and commentators have claimed that the design choice is a subtle response to a 2022 controversy involving the two nations.
In 2022, Morocco accused Algeria of appropriating its cultural heritage after the Algerian national football team unveiled a training jersey featuring a zellige pattern.
Morocco’s Ministry of Culture demanded the withdrawal of the design, alleging it was “unduly appropriating Moroccan cultural heritage.”
The dispute added to the already strained diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries.
Algerian outlet DZFoot criticized the logo, stating, “It seems from the clip presented that our neighbors have not moved on from associating zellige with Algeria through football.”
The publication emphasized that zellige is not exclusive to Morocco but is a shared cultural element of North Africa, found in cities like Tlemcen in Algeria and Kairouan in Tunisia.
CAF and Moroccan organizers described the logo as embodying African pride, resilience, and hope.
However, the backlash highlights the complex interplay of cultural identity and regional tensions that can overshadow sporting events.
As Morocco prepares to host the 35th edition of the prestigious tournament, the debate over the logo underscores how cultural symbols can become a focal point for broader political and historical disputes.
Whether the logo achieves its intended message of unity or continues to spark division remains to be seen as anticipation builds for the tournament’s draw on Monday in Rabat.
