AFCON
AFCON BOSS, AMAJU PINNICK CONFIDENT EGYPT 2019 WOULD BE A SUCCESS
The 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football, who is also the President of AFCON Organizing Committee, Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick has assured that the continental football –ruling body is doing everything within its power to ensure that the 32nd Africa Cup finals holding in Egypt this summer is a huge success.
Speaking in Lagos on Monday, Pinnick, who is also President of the Nigeria Football Federation, said CAF is aware of the apprehension of the African football stakeholders, and is putting measures in place to tackle those fears and guarantee a seamless continental house party that everyone would be proud of.
“CAF is not unmindful of the reservations being harboured in some quarters, and feelings of anxiety being expressed in several fora by some individuals and groups. What is important is that we are taking note of all these and putting measures in place to tackle these genuine fears.
“At the end of the day, football would be the winner. We are very positive that those measures we have put in place and those we have lined up will culminate in an occasion that every African would be proud of, and which will leave the average football follower elsewhere enthralled.”
There has been widespread anxiety within the African football community over the hosting of the first –ever 24 –nation AFCON, following CAF’s decision to strip Cameroon of the hosting right at the end of November last year, with new host Egypt announced only early this month.
On Saturday, CAF’s Emergency Committee announced that the draw ceremony for the championship, scheduled for 21st June – 19th July in eight Egyptian venues, would hold in Cairo on 12th April. That is exactly 10 weeks to the opening match of the championship.
In previous years and decades, host nations of Africa’s flagship tournament had been privileged to have more time to prepare for the various obligations involved in staging the competition, with the exception of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (the last two host nations) who had few months to step in after originally –designated hosts balked late in the day.
“We are assured that Egypt would be ready and would put up a good show. CAF is also monitoring preparations on all fronts to ensure that nothing goes wrong.”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles, three –time champions, have already booked their place at the 24 –nation fiesta.
THE CHANGING FACES OF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
1957: Three participating countries, hosted by Sudan, won by Egypt
1959: Three participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
FIRST CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 3 TO 4
1962: Four participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Ethiopia
SECOND CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 4 TO 6
1963: Six participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Ghana
1965: Six participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Ghana
THIRD CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 6 TO 8
1968: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Congo Kinshasa (Later Zaire and now DR Congo)
INTRODUCTION OF 2 YEAR INTERVAL AND IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS
1970: Eight participating countries, hosted by Sudan, won by Sudan
1972: Eight participating countries, hosted by Cameroon, won by Congo
1974: Eight participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Zaire (now DR Congo)
1976: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Morocco
1978: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Ghana
1980: Eight participating countries, hosted by Nigeria, won by Nigeria
1982: Eight participating countries, hosted by Libya, won by Ghana
1984: Eight participating countries, hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, won by Cameroon
1986: Eight participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
1988: Eight participating countries, hosted by Morocco, won by Cameroon
1990: Eight participating countries, hosted by Algeria, won by Algeria
FOURTH CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 8 TO 12 & INTRODUCTION OF QUARTER FINALS
1992: Twelve participating countries, hosted by Senegal, won by Cote d’Ivoire
1994: Twelve participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Nigeria
FIFTH CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 12 TO 16
1996: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by South Africa, won by South Africa
1998: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Burkina Faso, won by Egypt
2000: Sixteen participating countries, co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, won by Cameroon
2002: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Mali, won by Cameroon
2004: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Tunisia
2006: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
2008: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Egypt
2010: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Angola, won by Egypt
2012: Sixteen participating countries, co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, won by Zambia
CHANGE OF CALENDER TO ODD NUMBERED YEARS
2013: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by South Africa, won by Nigeria
2015: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Equatorial Guinea, won by Cote d’Ivoire
2017: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Gabon, won by Cameroon
SIXTH CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FINALISTS FROM 16 TO 24
2019: Twenty-Four participating countries, to be hosted by Egypt
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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AFCON
‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.
The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.
Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.
Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.
Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.
They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.
The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.
“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.
The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.
Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.
The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.
ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
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