Yasser Zabiri, star of Morocco’s youth national team and top scorer at the recent Under-20 World Cup, has strongly criticized what happened during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat.
The young forward weighed in on the ugly scenes that accompanied the match, which he believes exposed deep-rooted hostility and envy from some African fans and actors towards Morocco after its major sporting and organizational progress.
Zabiri posted a short but powerful message via an Instagram Story on his official account. In it, he wrote the phrase: “Africa does not deserve Morocco,” a line that captured the bitterness many Moroccan supporters felt as they watched the events unfold despite the country’s generous hospitality and high-quality organization.
The post quickly went viral and drew strong support from Moroccan fans, who saw it as an honest expression of the “animosity” they feel their country faced throughout the tournament.
The reaction carries extra weight because of Zabiri’s status as one of the brightest rising talents in Moroccan football. In 2025, he led the “Cubs” to Under-20 World Cup glory with decisive goals that put him on the radar of several major European clubs. His latest stance suggests that the new generation of Atlas Lions is fully aware of what they perceive as attempts to undermine Morocco’s growing leadership on the continent.
For many observers, Zabiri’s words reflect a broader sentiment that Morocco’s success in infrastructure, organization and on-field performance has unsettled some rivals.
They argue that Morocco responded to provocation and poor behavior with professionalism and dignity, while some opponents answered progress with chaos, mockery and a lack of respect.
