By Kunle Solaja.

Despite lingering debates over the controversial finale of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco is once again positioning itself as the continent’s premier football destination.

As the football world prepares for the March 2026 FIFA international break, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has confirmed that the country will host an extensive programme of international friendlies, including the sixth edition of the Morocco, Capital of African Football tournament.

Scheduled for March 23 to March 31, 2026, the competition will bring together eight national teams,  seven from Africa and Palestine from the Asian Football Confederation,  for a week-long series of matches in Rabat and Casablanca.

Tournament Fixtures

Each participating team will play twice during the international window.

March 27 Fixtures

• Libya vs Niger
• Mauritania vs Liberia
• Benin vs Palestine
• Togo vs Guinea

March 31 Fixtures

• Guinea vs Benin
• Liberia vs Libya
• Niger vs Togo
• Palestine vs Mauritania

The tournament continues Morocco’s strategic positioning as a neutral and well-equipped venue for African and intercontinental fixtures, reinforcing its growing reputation for organisation, infrastructure and match-day atmosphere.

Beyond hosting duties, Morocco’s senior national team, the Atlas Lions, will also utilise the FIFA window to play two high-profile international friendlies as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The friendlies are expected to serve as tactical rehearsals, allowing the technical crew to assess squad depth, refine combinations and test strategic adjustments ahead of global competition.

While last month’s AFCON final sparked heated discussions across the continent, Morocco’s swift pivot to hosting another major international gathering underscores its enduring appeal as a football centre.

With modern stadiums, reliable logistics and proven tournament experience, the country continues to attract federations seeking competitive fixtures in a stable environment.

For many national teams preparing for World Cup qualifiers and continental campaigns, Morocco has become more than a host, it is increasingly the default destination.

And as March 2026 approaches, the continent’s football heartbeat will once again pulse through Rabat and Casablanca.

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Egypt international Ramadan Sobhi, who helped Pyramids win their first CAF Champions League title last season and previously played in the English Premier League, has been sentenced to one year in prison in connection with an academic fraud case, local media reported on Tuesday.

Sobhi was arrested in July upon returning from Turkey, where Pyramids had completed a pre-season camp, following allegations of falsifying official documents and having another individual sit for exams on his behalf at a private tourism and hospitality institute in Giza Governorate, Central Egypt.

The Giza Criminal Court sentenced 28-year-old Sobhi on Tuesday and a second defendant to one year with labor, acquitted a third, and handed a 10-year sentence in absentia to a fourth, who is a fugitive.

Sobhi’s lawyer could not be reached immediately for comment.

In addition to the prison sentence, Sobhi faces a four-year suspension after the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed violations of anti-doping regulations in November.

Sobhi, who has played 37 times for Egypt, began his career at Al-Ahly before moving to England in 2016, where he played for Stoke City and Huddersfield Town.

Sobhi joined Pyramids in 2020 from Huddersfield Town, following a loan spell at Al-Ahly, and played a key role in helping Pyramids secure their first CAF Champions League title after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.

Reuters

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The Asian Football Confederation has announced plans to introduce an AFC Nations League, just a day after the Confederation of African Football unveiled a similar competition for its member associations.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Kuala Lumpur-based governing body said the new tournament is aimed at improving competition standards and commercial opportunities for national teams across Asia.

While no start date was announced, the AFC confirmed that the competition will be staged during existing FIFA international windows, avoiding congestion in the global football calendar.

AFC General Secretary Windsor John described the initiative as a strategic development tool for the continent’s national teams.

“The AFC Nations League represents an important step forward in our ongoing commitment to support the development of our 47 member associations,” John said.
“By introducing a structured competition platform, we aim to ensure consistent access to high-quality matches while addressing logistical and cost-related challenges faced by national teams.”

The AFC currently organises the Asian Cup every four years, with the next edition of the 24-team finals scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.

The proposed Nations League would complement the flagship tournament by providing regular, competitive fixtures between Asian national teams.

Asia and Africa now follow a path already taken by Europe, where UEFA launched its own Nations League in 2018. The UEFA competition was designed to replace low-profile friendlies with more meaningful matches, a model that has since been adopted or adapted by other confederations.

With CAF and AFC both moving towards Nations League formats, global football appears to be entering a new era in which structured inter-national competitions increasingly replace traditional friendly matches, offering greater sporting value and commercial appeal.

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