Every four years, the Africa Cup of Nations brings together African countries in a major international competition. This year, the cup is being hosted by Morocco. But the country sending the most players is not the one you might think.
In fact, France, even though it is not supposed to be involved or participate in this competition, is sending the most players onto the field. The website Foot Mercato has established that out of a total of 658 players, no fewer than 107 are French nationals. The second largest contingent, from Côte d’Ivoire, is far behind, with only 29 players. And in France, unsurprisingly, the department of Seine-Saint-Denis (known as ‘93’), which has the highest immigrant population in the country, appears to be a privileged breeding ground, with 14 players selected. The sports press praises “the major influence of the 93 in African and international football.”
Behind this politically correct pride lies a less glamorous reality. With each edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, France suffers dramatically from the fallout of rivalries between member countries, a consequence of the large communities of African descent living on its soil. The 2025 edition is no exception to the rule—even though it is being held in Morocco.
From December onwards, with the start of the Cup and the qualifying matches, cities have had to adapt and take drastic measures in terms of traffic and security, as in Marseille, where traffic had to be stopped around the Old Port for the Cup match involving Algeria.
The whole country is being called upon to contribute and is being asked to live to the rhythm of the tournament. For example, RN MEP Matthieu Valet reveals that the Vincennes administrative detention centre near Paris has taken out a subscription to Qatar‘s beIN Sports channel, at the taxpayer’s expense, so that the illegal migrants housed there can watch the matches in good conditions.
A series of violent incidents accompanied the staging and broadcasting of the matches, demonstrating a sense of impunity on the part of supporters who, although often French nationals, have their hearts set on the team of their country of origin. On the evening of December 28th, Algeria’s victory over Burkina Faso led to violence in several cities. In Lille, around a hundred individuals blocked traffic before firing mortars and smoke bombs. Not far away, in Roubaix, Algerian supporters targeted police officers with fireworks in the city centre. In Toulouse, a police station was also targeted by mortar fire, while around twenty individuals attempted to tear down the French flag from a local town hall. In Marseille, the tram network was shut down following damage caused by supporters.
On the evening of Tuesday, January 7th, the match between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo was once again accompanied by clashes and unrest. In Lyon, traffic on the ring road was blocked because Algerian supporters were playing football on the road, as reported by a member of the National Rally party who was caught up in the blockages.
The French have no choice but to grit their teeth and endure, until January 18th, the deleterious effects of an international sporting competition in which they are now involved, as if their country had become, de facto, just another African country. This is one of the many effects of the ongoing population change that no one dares to mention publicly.
