Morocco reject Argentina clash due to high financial demands

Reports have revealed that the 'Atlas Lions' were set to face Argentina in a strong friendly match during the current international break, but financial and organizational demands from the Argentine side prevented the match from taking place.

According to the circulating information, the Moroccan Football Federation was planning to host a match between the Moroccan national team and Argentina, before the demands made by the Argentine Federation led to the proposal being rejected. The focus then shifted to scheduling a friendly match against Ghana, which was later cancelled and replaced with a match against Mali.

According to French journalist Romain Molina, the Moroccan federation wanted to organize a heavyweight encounter against the Argentine national team, the 2022 World Cup champions and 2026 runners-up, with the match to be held in Morocco.

Molina explained that negotiations hit a snag due to the Argentine Football Association's demands, which stipulated that the match be held in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, where his national team is currently playing a series of friendly matches.

The French journalist reported that his sources indicated that the Moroccan federation rejected the idea of holding the match outside its territory, leading the Argentine side to request one million euros to play the match in Morocco. This proposal was not approved by Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Moroccan Football Federation.

Molina pointed out that holding the match would have cost the Moroccan side around €1.5 million, which includes approximately €400,000 to €500,000 in expenses for organizing the encounter, in addition to €1 million demanded by the Argentine Football Association for the participation of the national team.

Thus, the anticipated match has been called off, and the Moroccan national team will face Mali instead of Argentina during the current international break.

These reports coincide with other accounts that spoke of difficult living conditions for the Burkina Faso national team in Argentina during the friendly match that took place in Buenos Aires, which ended with Argentina winning by a score of 7-0.