AFCON
SOUTH AFRICA CRIES FOUL OVER AFCON 2019 HOSTING RIGHTS
BY DAVID DIAMOND.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) have claimed the manner in which the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations to Egypt was “unprocedural and unfair”.
South Africa and Egypt had both put themselves forward to host the tournament after CAF stripped original hosts Cameroon of the event citing serious delays in their preparations.
Egypt were named as the new host following a vote by CAF’s Executive Committee on Tuesday (January 8), but SAFA has now officially complained, saying due process was not applied.
The body claim they were never told that CAF’s crucial Committee meeting – originally scheduled for Wednesday (January 9) – had been moved forward by a day and that no inspection team was ever sent to South Africa to assess their facilities.
“We were previously advised that CAF would make a formal announcement on the 9th of January 2019‚ and we arranged for a delegation from Government to be present‚ only to learn last night [Monday] – unofficially – that CAF will make an announcement today at 08h30 GMT,” their chief executive Russell Paul said at the time.
“We are yet to receive any official announcement in this regard.”
According to reports, SAFA has now written a formal letter of complaint to CAF, which Inside World Football claim reminds the continental body that bid rules call for the “evaluation of bid books‚ pre-selected applicants’ announcement‚ possible requests for additional information and possible on-site visits”.
SAFA chief Paul has claimed, however, no inspection team was ever sent to South Africa.
“That gives an indication of on what basis did they evaluate‚ by their own procedures?” Inside World Football quote him as saying.
“The other aspect is that we don’t know‚ up until now‚ the reason for the move from the ninth to the eighth.
“When you consider that we had actually set up a delegation to go there for the ninth‚ and the Egyptians had already been there for a few days with their government delegation and their media‚ prepared to make a bid presentation.
“We were never advised officially.
“We just got this by the grapevine.”
“FIFA did a World Cup analysis [for 2010], South Africa was number one and Egypt was last.
“Fundamentally, nothing has changed.”
It has been claimed South Africa’s support for the North American 2026 FIFA World Cup bid, despite Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about Africa, may have been a factor in their defeat ©Getty Images
In response to SAFA’s complaints, President of CAF Ahmad has claimed a lack of any Government support for South Africa’s bid was what cost the country.
According to the Nigerian news website Today, speaking in Dakar, Ahmad said both country’s have equally good infrastructure but Egypt’s greater “political commitment” gave them the edge to host the tournament between June 15 and July 13.
“Our audit firm said the infrastructure was equal, so we assessed the political commitment in the two countries, and Egypt came out on top,” he said.
“Members of the [CAF] Executive Committee did not feel any real support from the South African Government to carry the project forward.”
Agence France-Presse also reported that South Africa’s decision to back the North American bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of Morocco, “infuriated” Ahmad and other senior CAF officials.
That, therefore, may have had an impact on their bid defeat.
“South Africa voting for the USA, especially after president Donald Trump had publicly criticised the people of the continent [of Africa], was seen as anti-African,” they quote an unnamed CAF official as saying.
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) has kicked off a European promotional tour themed “Morocco, Land of Football” to boost the country’s visibility ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The roadshow, which began on June 16 and runs through June 23, is making stops in five key European cities: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.
According to a press release, the initiative is designed to enhance Morocco’s international profile through a blend of sports and cultural promotion, as the kingdom prepares to host the continent’s premier football tournament.
“Morocco is preparing to welcome Africa. Through this roadshow, we aim to tell a collective story of a country oriented towards the future, proud of its roots, and passionate about football,” said Achraf Fayda, Director General of ONMT.
The roadshow stems from a strategic partnership signed in April between the ONMT and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), with the shared goal of positioning Morocco as a leading global destination for both football and tourism by 2030.
At each stop, the tour is expected to engage over 100 travel agents, tour operators, media professionals, and African tourism experts. Participants are treated to immersive, multisensory experiences that highlight Morocco’s tourism offerings, while also facilitating networking with sports personalities.
The campaign targets travel professionals, sports industry stakeholders, and digital content creators as part of ONMT’s broader strategy to leverage AFCON 2025 for tourism development and international branding.
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The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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