The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the creation of a new continental competition, the African Nations League, marking another major reform in African football.

The announcement was made on Saturday, December 20, in Rabat by CAF President Patrice Motsepe, shortly before he unveiled the historic decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years from 2028.

Modelled along the lines of Europe’s Nations League system, the African Nations League is designed to provide competitive fixtures for national teams outside the AFCON cycle, while also boosting the commercial and sporting value of international football on the continent.

According to Motsepe, the new competition will be held annually between September and December, beginning in 2029. Matches will be played strictly within the international windows approved by FIFA, ensuring that the tournament does not disrupt domestic leagues or club competitions.

CAF confirmed that Africa will be divided into four zones for the purposes of the competition, a structure aimed at reducing travel demands while maintaining high-level competition across the continent. Further details on the format, promotion and relegation system, and prize money are expected to be released at a later date.

The launch of the African Nations League, coming alongside the shift of AFCON to a four-year cycle, signals CAF’s intention to modernise its calendar, improve player welfare, and create more meaningful international matches for African national teams throughout the season.

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By Kunle Solaja.

Morocco’s triumph at the FIFA Arab Cup is the latest chapter in a football story that has become increasingly familiar: the Kingdom winning, and doing so with purpose.

The victory, achieved with a squad far from Morocco’s strongest selection, underlines how deep the country’s football reservoir has become. It also reinforces a wider narrative — that Morocco’s resurgence is not accidental, but the outcome of a long-term national vision that has turned the Kingdom into one of the most consistent football powers in Africa and the Arab world.

From the historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — the first by any African or Arab nation — to the exploits of the Olympic team at Paris 2024, following their triumph as African U-23 champions, Morocco has made success a habit rather than a surprise.

Speaking to Sports Village Square on telephone, Houda El Kinani, Director of Casablanca-based Moumen Travel, described the recent wave of trophies as the “return on investment” of decisions taken over a decade ago.

“These victories are not flashes,” she said. “They are the result of seeds planted about ten years ago. What we are seeing now is the return on investment.”

That investment is paying off across multiple fronts. The team fielded at the FIFA Arab Cup was largely made up of home-based players, while the top-tier Atlas Lions are preparing to chase continental glory on home soil as hosts of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations.

At the moment, Morocco also holds the record for successive international wins — a streak that could stretch to 19 matches when they open their AFCON campaign against Comoros on Sunday.

Beyond results on the pitch, Morocco has emerged as Africa’s most reliable football host, staging CAF and FIFA competitions with clockwork efficiency.

Massive capital and human investments have transformed sports infrastructure, positioning football as a pillar of the Kingdom’s economic and diplomatic strategy.

After every major Moroccan victory, Sports Village Square is often inundated with messages from patriotic Moroccans at home and abroad.

Morocco’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ouali Tagma, regularly sends congratulatory notes highlighting another national milestone from the country fondly known as the “Kingdom of Light” and the “Land of Football.” His messages consistently point to the high-level importance accorded to sports within the Kingdom.

At the heart of this football revolution is King Mohammed VI. His congratulatory messages to national teams after major victories — including last August’s CHAN triumph — are more than ceremonial. They reflect a monarch whose personal passion for football has shaped the trajectory of Moroccan sport since ascending the throne in 1999.

That vision took concrete form in 2008 with a National Sports Strategy, followed in 2009 by the launch of the Mohammed VI Football Academy.

Today, many of the stars who dazzled the world at Qatar 2022 passed through its system. The opening of the Mohammed VI Football Centre in 2019 further cemented Morocco’s status as a global football hub, providing an integrated ecosystem for players, coaches, analysts, referees, and administrators.

The results have been striking: dominance across men’s, women’s, youth, and club competitions, and unprecedented financial returns through FIFA programmes that reward structured domestic leagues.

Morocco’s rise, observers note, contrasts sharply with countries that rely on occasional talent surges or short-term fixes. While others celebrated qualification alone, Morocco quietly built an empire — one rooted in policy consistency, institutional stability, and national purpose.

At the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, banners declaring “This time, the trophy is our dream” no longer read like wishful thinking. They sound like statements of intent.

With the FIFA Arab Cup now added to an expanding honours list, Morocco’s message to Africa and the football world is unmistakable: winning is no longer an ambition — it is a culture.

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FIFA has overturned the results of three Malaysia matches after finding they had fielded ineligible players, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said on Wednesday, in the latest setback for the team amid a widening document forgery scandal.

FIFA had suspended seven naturalised players for 12 months and fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs ($439,257) in September after finding false documentation had been used to allow them to play in an Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam in June.

World soccer’s governing body dismissed an appeal by FAM last month, saying it would launch a formal probe into the association’s internal operations and notify authorities in five countries of potential criminal proceedings.

FAM said in response it would bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In its latest decision, FIFA’s disciplinary committee also changed the results of three friendlies the players had appeared in, handing down 3-0 defeats for games against Cape Verde on May 29, Singapore on September 4 and Palestine on September 8, FAM said.

The association has also been fined 10,000 Swiss francs.

Malaysia had drawn 1-1 with Cape Verde and earned 2-1 and 1-0 wins over Singapore and Palestine.

“FAM will make a written application to obtain the reasons for the decision from the FIFA disciplinary committee before considering the next steps to be taken in this matter,” the association said.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

The scandal has sparked uproar in Malaysia, with fans and some lawmakers calling for action against FAM as well as government agencies responsible for granting the players’ citizenship.

Last month, the association suspended its secretary-general and formed an independent committee to investigate what it called a “technical error”.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has vowed full transparency in domestic probes, but stressed that FAM should be allowed to defend itself.

-Reuters

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