Claim: An X user, @jumaf3 shared a post alleging that Morocco rescheduled and cancelled flights for Africans departing after AFCON and also turned off airport Wi‑Fi. Verdict: Misleading. Yes, flight disruptions did occur due to adverse weather, but normal refund and rebooking procedures were followed. Full Story The claim surfaced following the conclusion of the
Claim: An X user, @jumaf3 shared a post alleging that Morocco rescheduled and cancelled flights for Africans departing after AFCON and also turned off airport Wi‑Fi.
Verdict: Misleading. Yes, flight disruptions did occur due to adverse weather, but normal refund and rebooking procedures were followed.
Full Story
The claim surfaced following the conclusion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a period marked by heavy outbound travel from Morocco. The post-tournament rush caused flight congestion, delays, and cancellations on some routes, with airlines offering standard options such as rebooking or refunds.
These disruptions occurred alongside increased scrutiny of Morocco’s AFCON travel rules, such as the temporary AEVM requirement for some African nationals. While these measures covered entry, not departure, they still confused travellers.
Amid online discussions, some users characterised isolated operational disruptions as intentional actions directed at African passengers, although there is no official confirmation or credible reporting to corroborate these assertions.
At the time of this investigation, the post had reached 700,000 views, 5,091 reposts, 322 quotes, and 14,600 likes, making it popular across several social media platforms here, here and here.
See the screenshot of the post below:
Reactions were mixed as @eobrucee expressed uncertainty: “Wow, how true is this?”
@im_Kappachino called for evidence: “If this is true you people should make videos and screenshots of flight cancellations then post them online. Let everyone share and repost for the world to see.”
@sarvanhindustan dismissed the claim but highlighted concerns about fan treatment: “While reports about mass flight cancellations and Wi-Fi shutdowns are not accurate, the treatment faced by Senegalese players and fans by Moroccan authorities and some individuals was clearly disappointing and should be addressed.”
The debate prompted NDRFactCheck to investigate the veracity of the claim.
Verification
NDRFactCheck reviewed a Morocco World News article published in early January. It confirmed that Royal Air Maroc (RAM) cancelled two flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport due to weather conditions.
Additionally, Hespress English reported that heavy weather across Europe disrupted RAM operations and other carriers, causing multiple cancellations and schedule changes.
Further checks revealed that the Moroccan government had earlier introduced temporary electronic travel authorisation (AEVM) requirements for citizens of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia ahead of AFCON 2025. These applied to entry procedures only, not departures.
Official airline policies also state that passengers affected by cancellations are generally offered refunds or rebooking options in line with international aviation practices.
Regarding the alleged shutdown of airport Wi‑Fi, NDRFactCheck found no evidence to support this claim. The official website of Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport confirms that the airport is equipped with Wi‑Fi connections for passengers.
Meanwhile, a review of customer feedback on Trustpilot.com showed mixed experiences with Royal Air Marco, but none indicated flight cancellations targeting African passengers after Morocco’s loss in the AFCON final.
As of this fact-check, there have been no confirmations from leading news organisations or aviation officials of intentional or discriminatory flight cancellations or Wi-Fi outages affecting African travellers departing AFCON.
Conclusion
The statement combines factual operational circumstances with unsubstantiated assumptions. Although flight disruptions did occur and standard refund and rebooking procedures were followed, there is no evidence indicating that African passengers were specifically targeted or subjected to discriminatory treatment, nor that Wi‑Fi was deliberately disabled.
Verdict: Misleading
