AFCON
ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST RENAMING OF ONIKAN STADIUM; WHICH STRONG TEAM WILL NIGERIA DRAW AT AFCON 2019 POT 2?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
It is 67 years this Friday when the premier football ground in Nigeria, the Onikan Stadium, Lagos was first renamed from its original name, The Association Ground.
On this day in 1952, the arena, which was the first home ground of the Nigerian national football team was renamed as King George V (KGV) to mark the coronation of the England monarch.
It is therefore a coincidence that the Nigerian team will draw its Africa Cup of Nations’ opponents on this occasion in Egypt.
Technically, the strongest of the three opponents of the Super Eagles is expected to come from Pot 2. The second level ranked pot hasDR Congo, Ghana, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Algeria.
One of these six teams will belong to the same group with the Super Eagles. The draw at the famous Pyramids of Egypt will determine which team.
But significantly, none of the six is strange to the Nigerian side across all competitions, especially the Africa Cup of Nations.
Only Guinea has never fallen in the same group with Nigeria even though both met at the second round of the 1976 edition in Ethiopia. The encounter ended 1-1, no thanks to the last minute equalizer by Papa Camara after Muda Lawal’s early second half goal.
Nigeria and DR Congo (then Zaire) met at Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, in the opening Group B encounter in 1976. Nigeria, then the underdogs, shocked the defending champions with a 4-2 defeat.
Both met again at the Senegal ’92 quarter finals and that of Tunisia ’94. Nigeria triumphed at both matches. Thus, DR Congo has never beaten Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana, another team in Pot 2, is Nigeria’s eternal football rival. Both were in the same Group A at Ghana ’78 and Group B at Cote d’Ivoire 1984.
The first match ended 1-1 in Accra while Nigeria under Chief Adegboye Onigbinde shocked Ghana, 2-1 as defending champions in 1984. The two teams met again in the semi-finals of Senegal ’92 when Ghana avenged the 1984 defeat.
They were at it again at Ghana 2008 second round encounter in which Ghana again triumphed. But before then, Nigeria eliminated Ghana at the quarterfinals of Mali 2002. Both teams clashed again at Angola 2010 semi-finals and Ghana won 1-0.
Mali was in the same Group A at Mali 2002 ending the tie goalless. When they met again at the third place match, Nigeria won 1-0. Nigeria won again 2-1 at the losers’ final match of Tunisia 2004 before a goalless outing at the group stage of Ghana 2008.
The Super Eagles had a massive 4-1 win when both met again at the semi finals of South Africa 2013. So, Mali has never beaten Nigeria in Africa Cup finals’ history!
Cote d’Ivoire was the only team that Nigeria did not beat on the way to winning the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations. Both team played goalless. But when met 10 years later in the same Group A of the continental premier competition, Nigeria won 1-0.
In the march to success at the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire was the Super Eagles’ last stepping stone to the final, winning 4-2 on penalties after 2-2 score lines at regulation and extra time.
But in 2006 competition in Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire had a revenge of 1-0 in the semi finals and repeated the same at the group stage of 2008 in Sekondi, Ghana. When both met at the quarterfinals of South Africa 2013, Nigeria had a soul-lifting 2-1 win, which sustained the Stephen Keshi-coached side to the ultimate victory in the final. From Pot 2, which team is preferred to be in Nigeria’s group. You can drop your comment ahead of the draw.
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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