AFCON

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS’ FINAL MATCH IS MORE OF MAHREZ VERSUS MANE CONTEST

Published

6 years ago

July 19, 2019

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

As the curtain gets set to fall on the largest ever Africa Cup of Nations, all eyes will be on two star players – Riyad Mahrez of Algeria and Sadio Mane, the talisman of Senegal.

The success of their respective teams may be determined by the performances of these two stars.

Mahrez was almost singularly responsible for the team’s march to the final. It was the Manchester City’s £60m winger’s pull out from the right wing that Nigeria’s William Troost-Ekong inadvertently deflected into his own net.

Then in the last minute of the epic semi-final match, his well taken free kick gave Algeria the winning goal.

Can he leave up to his calling today? In the other camp, Senegal depends on Sadio Mane, who for two years running has been beaten by his Liverpool teammate, Mohamed Salah as Africa’s soccer king.

His time appears to have come now. Donning the iconic number 10 for both club and country, time seems to have come for him to explode.

No stage is better other than the biggest ever Africa Cup of Nations in history. He could win the first title for his honour-starved country, which even though ranked as Africa’s number one, but yet to win an African title!

Mane as Liverpool’s No10 spent the 2018/19 campaign engrossed in an enrapturing, nip-and-tuck battle for Premier League glory with Algeria’s Mahez in Manchester City.

Now they are set to meet for the second time at this CAF Africa Cup of Nations – Algeria edged Senegal 1-0 in the group stage – after Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane inspired a final between the nations.

While Senegal are Africa’s number one, Algeria are positioned a distance 12^th. Will the often-criticized FIFA ranking be proven right? The events at the Cairo International Stadium later tonight will decide.

Also as possible yardsticks are the players’ ratings across all platforms – the English Premiership and international matches.

For Algeria’s Mahrez, this match will be his 53^rd appearance in Algerian colours while the backbreaking goal he inflicted against Nigeria last Sunday was his 13^th, an unlucky number that proved to be the Nigerian nemesis.

Mane, a better-known star has a higher statistics. The Africa Cup of Nations final match will be his 61^st appearance for Senegal at Grade A level. He has scored 18 times for the honour-starved nation that is in the final match for the first time in 17 years.

Both Mane and Mahrez are recent stars in African Football. Mahrez, born in France, reportedly made his international debut when he was 23 and just 12 days to Brazil 2014 World Cup.

In 2016, he became the first Algerian to win the CAF African Footballer of the Year award since Rabah Madjer in 1987

Mane made his international debut shortly after turning 20 in 2012. He missed the last penalty as Senegal lost a shoot-out to Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations’ quarterfinals in 2017.

He later redeemed himself later that year with a crucial goal against Burkina Faso and a palatial performance against South Africa to send The Lions of Teranga to their second World Cup.

He was superb in Senegal’s first two matches at Russia 2018.

MAJOR HONOURS: MANE VS MAHREZ

Mahrez

2 Premier League titles (2015/16 & 2018/19)
English FA Cup (2018/19)
English League Cup (2018/19)

Mane

UEFA Champions League (2018/19)
Austrian Bundesliga (2013/14)
Austrian Cup (2013/14)

AFCON

Royal Air Maroc named official partner for AFCON 2025, WAFCON 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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AFCON

Morocco speeds up stadium upgrades ahead of AFCON 2025

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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