In the hushed corridors of African football, there are official decisions, and then there are unofficial conversations. This is hardly unusual in an environment where sport, power, money, and politics intersect. However, what has unfolded in recent days within Confederation of African Football goes beyond routine influence. It reflects a blatant and openly acknowledged blurring of roles, with journalists exerting pressure on the Executive Committee, even as they claim to expose
Morocco has significantly ramped up its lobbying efforts in the United States, outspending Algeria and strategically diversifying its approach with multiple firms to influence US policy, particularly regarding Western Sahara. While Rabat's spending has surged to $3.49 million in 2025, Algeria's more modest efforts, totaling $660,000, highlight a stark contrast in their respective influence strategies.
As decisive discussions with the European Union on agricultural and fishing agreements approach, and drawing lessons from the hard-won victory on November 26 in the European Parliament, Morocco is strengthening its influence strategy in Brussels.
Could Algeria persuade the Polisario Front to soften its stance on the Western Sahara issue? That's the suggestion put forward by an American think tank closely aligned with Israel, yet sympathetic to Algeria’s interests in the United States.
Last year and despite the pandemic, lobbying activities in the United States by foreign countries continued. While Morocco spent almost the same amount as the previous years, those of Algeria and the Polisario Front dropped drastically.