AFCON
FORMER COLLEAGUES PAY TRIBUTE TO ITALIA ’90 CAMEROON SKIPPER, STEPHEN TATAW
The class of 1990 to 1994 Cameroon Indomitable Lions has been paying tributes to their captain, Stephen Tataw who died in Yaoundé last Friday.
Sports Village Square gathered from Cameroon Insider, a biweekly publication from the stable of Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation that Joseph Antoine Bell, François Omam-Biyik, former teammate and Rigobert Song among others have expressed their sadness over the death of Tataw, whom they described as an inspirational leader.
Antoine Bell, the former Cameroon goalkeeper remarked: “I was devastated and shocked when I heard Stephen Tataw had died.
“We did not know he was sick. It’s Ndip Akem who posted the information of his illness in the 1990 group and before we could find out what was wrong with him and where he was hospitalised, the bad news of his death was announced.
“Stephen Tataw was a unique leader. He had a listening ear to player’s worries and always tabled them to football stakeholders for solutions.
“For someone from an English-speaking background, he equally spoke very fluent Bassa and most times that was the language we communicated with on the field.”
François Omam-Biyik, whose towering 67th minute header 30 years ago enabled Cameroon shock Argentina 1-0 at the Italia ’90 also spoke in similar vein.
“I’m still to believe he is dead. I could barely catch sleep at night and I think that’s how it’s going to be for the next days.
“Stephen Tataw and I had a very good relationship. He was a nice person and spoke very few words. He was also very discreet and I think that’s one of the qualities that made the coach name him captain.
“He was also fearless I can remember when exchanging pennants with Maradona during our match in the 1990, Maradona tapped his shoulder to encourage him. But Tataw did same to Maradona looking him straight in the eyes. We have lost a great man.”
“I had the opportunity to know and meet him during the 1994 World Cup and at that time I was still very young”, remarked Rigobert Song who captained Cameroon to beat Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations in Lagos in 2000.
Continuing, Song, a Liverpool legend remarked: “He greatly touched my life… he was modest, reserved but yet very efficient in and out of the field.
“Whenever he called me captain, I always told him you are the true captain. This is a major loss for us. Man proposes and God disposes.”
Bertin Ebwellé Ndingué, another member of the Italia ’90 squad remarked: “Cameroon has lost one of its emblematic figures in football.
“He was a defence monster. Both of us met in the 1980’s in Tonnerre Kalara Club. He came from Cammark Kumba and I from Lions of Yaounde and we established a great relationship.
“My first steps in learning how to drive a car was in his vehicle. His courage and imposing leadership will always be remembered. May his soul rest in peace.”
The late Tataw was in the winning team of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988 in Morocco, beating Nigeria 1-0.
His death was announced by Mbombo Njoya, the president of Cameroon football governing body, (FECAFOOT) on his Twitter last Friday: “It is with sad emotions that I learned the death of former Indomitable Lions Captain Stephan Tataw today.”
Stephen Tataw was best known for leading Cameroon against all odds to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 1990. Cameroon beat Argentina with Diego Maradona as captain in the opening match of the tournament to become the first African country to reach that stage of the competition.
He again captained the Lions four years later at the USA ‘94 World Cup.
Born in Ekona, on 31 March 1963, Stephen Tataw started his footballing career with Cammark of Kumba but rose to the limelight when he joined Tonnerre Kalara Club of Yaoundé in 1988 where he spent three years.
From Tonnerre he joined Olympic Mvolye in 1992. After the 1990 World Cup, Stephen Tataw had unsuccessful stints with English League First Division club Queens Park Rangers on trial and Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion.
In 1995, he joined Tosu Futures of Japan. He became the first African footballer to play for a professional Japanese club.
Before his death, Tataw was a member of FECAFOOT’s Technical Football Department. His last public appearance was during the draws of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) at the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex. He walked in with the trophy.
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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