AFCON
MORE TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR SENEGAL’S PAPA BOUBA DIOP
Two of Papa Bouba Diop’s former team-mates have talked about their memories of the Senegal star who died on Sunday, aged just 42.
Former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani was at Fulham at the same time as Bouba Diop and once let him move into his house.
Salif Diao played with Bouba Diop for Senegal and said: “Whenever we think about him it will be that angel face and that smile.”
Like many others paying tribute to Bouba Diop both men described him as a gentle giant.
“He was that powerhouse – when we [the Senegal squad] sent someone to the opposition dressing room we would always send him because he was the biggest in the team,” Diao recalled.
“He would always try and have that angry face but it was funny because he couldn’t do an angry face – so we would be behind him laughing because he was a powerhouse but with a babyface.
“When I heard the news my heart just felt shredded he lived with bravery and humility and that’s what we will remember.”
Diao was part of the team for one of Bouba Diopi’s career highlights when he scored the winning goal against France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup.
“Just a fantastic moment a legendary moment and I can still see his smile and baby face – a real gentle giant and he was special,” the former Liverpool player added.
“That’s what makes that group so special – every single individual had something that we were adding into the group. For the battle for getting ready to go onto the field he was the perfect guy who was really representing us.
“He was just so strong so powerful – the symbols of Senegal are the Baobab tree and the lion – and so he was a perfect symbol for our team as he had the heart of a lion and the strength of the Baobab tree.
“With him in the team we weren’t scared of anyone. He made a whole nation happy and proud.”
Zakuani got to know Bouba Diop while the two were at Fulham together.
“When I went there he looked after me like a younger brother – showing me the ropes so it is sad to hear of his passing.” Zakuani said.
“On the pitch you think “a beast” just an animal smashing everything that’s moving but as a person he had nothing bad about him he was just a proper nice person.
“I have never seen anyone have a bad word to say about him he was just the nicest, kindest soul.”
One of Zakuani’s abiding memories was offering to lend Bouba Diop his house while he went on holiday.
“He was having his apartment refurbished and he asked if I could use one of my bedrooms – I was going on holiday at the time so I gave him the keys to my house and said ‘do whatever you want’,” Zakuani recalled with a laugh.
“I come back from holiday a week later and he’d had the house decorated to his liking – he had his family photos everywhere and he was in my bedroom – he just saw that as normal.
“Now I look at it that he was that comfortable with me. At the time I was thinking how do I tell this 6ft 5 giant to take his stuff down and get out of my bedroom.”
-BBC
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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