Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Moroccan Football Federation, has shed light on his support for Egypt’s hosting of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), his relationship with Mahmoud El Khatib, the president of Al Ahly, and addressed allegations of interference in referee appointments within the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Regarding Egypt’s bid to host AFCON 2019, Lekjaa stated to On Time Sports 1, “CAF’s executive office debated postponing AFCON 2019 in Cameroon, and I was among the first supporters of Egypt’s right to host the tournament.
I urged Hany Abou-Rida to nominate Egypt for hosting, with Morocco’s backing. Egypt won the hosting rights, and it proved to be one of the most successful editions.”
Egypt stepped in to host AFCON 2019 due to infrastructure delays in Cameroon, with Algeria claiming the championship.
Lekjaa continued, emphasizing his amicable relationship with Al Ahly’s management under Mahmoud El Khatib, saying, “My relationship with Al Ahly’s administration, led by Mahmoud El Khatib, remains fraternal.
During the Club World Cup in Morocco, I met with their delegation and held a session at the hotel to resolve any issues they faced.”
He further defended El Khatib’s candidacy for the presidency of the African Clubs Association due to his sporting background and Al Ahly’s influence in continental competitions.
Responding to claims about the organization of the one-match final of the 2021-2022 CAF Champions League, Lekjaa clarified, “CAF decided to hold the 2021-2022 CAF Champions League final as a single match.
Both Morocco and Senegal applied to host the final. The Egyptian Football Association did not submit a bid before determining the finalists.”
“The executive office overwhelmingly voted in favor of Morocco over Senegal. It would be unreasonable to inform Wydad’s fans that the final would be relocated after they qualified.
Casablanca hosted the final previously, where Al Ahly won the championship, and everyone in Morocco contributed to organizing this match during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were the first to congratulate Al Ahly on their victory,” he added.
He stressed that Al Ahly does not need matches or stadiums to prove itself to win the CAF Champions League title.
Regarding allegations of interference in CAF referee appointments, he stated, “I have been president of the Moroccan Football Federation for 8 years, and if I interfered, Renaissance Berkane, of which I am also the president, would have won the Moroccan league title at least once.”
“If I had interfered in CAF, the Moroccan national team would have won the Africa Cup of Nations title, especially since it had not won since 1976, when I was 6 years old,” he remarked.
“Since CAF’s establishment, no Moroccan official has been on the Referees Committee. Said Belqola did not receive recognition from CAF despite managing the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals,” he concluded.
Lekjaa emphasized that he would not compete with Hany Abou-Rida for any position because they are brothers.
