AFCON
Exclusive! Gernot Rohr overtakes Clemens Westerhof
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
On Sunday 15 August 2021,Sports Village Square recalls that it was 32 years since Dutchman, Clemens Westerhof was signed as the Super Eagles’ head coach. He went on to spend 1,787 days on the saddle till he walked away on 6 July 1994.
He was therefore Nigeria’s coach for four years, 10 months and 22 days, the longest ever until the beginning of this month. The pendulum on longevity in the service to the Super Eagles has now shifted to the man currently on the saddle – Gernot Rohr who is now the longest serving Nigerian coach.
Employed on 5 August 2016, Rohr has now spent 1,835 days (five years and eight days) on the saddle – 47 days more than that of Westerhof.
Both coaches qualified Nigeria for the World Cup finals, taking Nigeria to World Cup finals in the territories of the two world’s super powers.
While Westerhof took Nigeria to the West at USA ‘94, Rohr guarded the Super Eagles to the opposite direction, taking Nigeri a to the East – Russia 2018.
Algeria also posed common denominator for both as their respective World Cup qualifying matches were away duels against Algeria.
Coincidentally, on-field results of the matches were 1-1, with Nigeria scoring first.
as Westerhof took Nigeria to the USA -94 while Rohr did the same by taking Nigeria to Russia 2018.
Incidentally, both World Cup editions were hosted by the political super powers – USA and Russia. In Westerhof’s four years, 10 months and 22 days as Nigeria’s manager, the team played 52 matches, won 27, drew 13 and lost 12.
Apart from the qualification for World Cup, Westerhof’s teams made it to the podium at the Africa Cup of Nations three times, winning in 1994 and getting the second and third places in 1990 and 1992.
As at this Monday 16 August 15, 2021, Rohr’s 1,835 days (five years and eight days) have seen him taking Nigeria to the third place of the Africa Cup of Nations at Egypt 2019 and will be hoping for an improved achievement in the next edition which final draw holds on Tuesday.
He is under contract till 31 December 2022 – a period covering till the end of Qatar 2022. If he qualifies the Super Eagles, he becomes the first coach to qualify the team to two World Cup editions and consecutively too.
His score card so far read: 48 matches as against Westerhof’s 52. Out of the 48 matches, Nigeria under Rohr won 22, drew 13 and lost 13 including the 4-0 loss to Mexico in which he was drafted as a last minute replacement to Austin Eguavoen.
Prosecution of friendly matches dents Rohr’s record as his team won just three out of 18 since he became Nigeria’s manager in August 2016. In 30 competitive matches, his Super Eagles won 19, drew six and lost five.
Overall, Rohr trails Amodu Shuaibu and Clemens Westerhof in the number of matches Nigeria played.
In the four spells of Shuabu as Nigeria’s manager (1994-97, 1999, 2001/02, 2008-2010) Nigeria played 53 matches, one more than Westerhof grossed.
With just five matches short of the record of Shuaibu, Rohr will most likely overtake him and Westerhof by the time the Super Eagles play their World Cup qualifying matches and the group games of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next January.
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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