Unlike the Senegalese, who have officially lost a championship title in Africa, Morocco will not celebrate its victory at the 2025 AFCON during its friendly match against Paraguay this Tuesday (8:00 PM) in Lens. But the atmosphere promises to be beautiful at the Bollaert stadium.
The preparation match for the 2026 World Cup against Paraguay, scheduled for this Tuesday (8:00 PM) in Lens, is highly anticipated by the Moroccan diaspora in France, eager to see their national team again. The Atlas Lions had already come to Pas-de-Calais in September 2023 to face Burkina Faso (1-0), a few months after the earthquake that had hit their country hard.
Once again, the Bollaert stadium will be full: the first 25,000 tickets were sold in just five hours, the rest went quickly, and there will be 38,000 people in the stands. “We are very happy to reunite with the French diaspora, but also from Belgium or the Netherlands,” enthused the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Spectators who will ensure a warm atmosphere, as in Madrid last Friday during the draw against Ecuador (1-1).
Mohamed Ouahbi will not address the media
However, there will be no celebrations for the 2025 AFCON like those organized by the Senegalese following their victory against Peru, on Saturday at the Stade de France (2-0). Unlike Senegal, who were officially stripped of their title pending review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Morocco will not display its winner status. No messages or signs celebrating the title, no trophy…
The FRMF continues to emphasize that the appeals board awarded the victory to the Moroccans by default (3-0), without boasting publicly. The idea remains the same for the Atlas Lions: rules must be respected. While it had been discussed, coach Mohamed Ouahbi will ultimately not speak to the media before the match against Paraguay, evidence that Morocco does not want to send a public message.
The new coach had already held a press conference late Friday evening in Madrid, and the Moroccans arrived on Sunday in the early evening at their hotel in the North, a little later than expected, leading to the cancellation of a training session. So, this friendly match against Paraguay will be a celebration without celebrating the status of African champions, pending the CAS conclusions. The event has also attracted numerous media, with 160 journalists accredited – even if there are some visa-related defections – are expected (including 60 photographers), while 250 requests had been submitted.
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