AFCON
African ladies ignite the fields as race for Women’s AFCON 2022 begins
The qualifying race for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2022 kicks off this Wednesday, October 20 with 21 matches scheduled across the continent.
Exciting thrillers are on the program for this first round first leg which will run until 22 October 2021.
Nigeria vs. Ghana
The biggest encounter of the first round will pit the Super Falcons against the Black Queens. In addition to the need to each mark their dominance, the two West African nations will try to secure a privileged place for the next round of the qualifiers.
Advantage in Nigeria, defending champion and nine-time Africa Cup of Nations winner. The first leg will take place in Lagos, while the return is scheduled for Accra.
Central African Republic vs. Cameroon
Since 2002, the Indomitable Lionesses have always reached the last four of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, ending runners-up in 2014 and 2016, and also bronze medalists in 2018. They intend to improve their performances and the first obstacle between them and the final tournament in Morocco will be the Central African Republic. .
Never have the Fauves Ladies succeeded in defeating the Indomitable Lionesses. The predictions therefore announce the band to Aboudi Onguene and Ajara Njoya favorite. But is there really nothing to fear from a CAR team that has worked hard over the past few years to develop their women’s football?
The answer on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT at the Japoma Stadium in Douala where the Fauves du bas-Oubangui will host the Lionesses, before playing the return leg on October 24 in Yaoundé.
Malawi vs. Zambia
The Malawi Scorchers will host the Copper Queens of Zambia in Lilongwe. The match is scheduled to start at 14:00 GMT at the Bingu National Stadium. The Scorchers will be looking for their first participation in the Women’s AFCON after their back-to-back exploits in COSAFA, with a place as semi-finalist in the 2020 women’s tournament and finalist in the 2021 edition.
As for Zambia, the African representatives at the last Olympic Games are favored by predictions. But they will have to do without the presence of their stars playing in China. “Everyone is expecting a tough game because every team is improving and being an AWCON qualifier match, every team wants to be at the tournament so we will take every game serious,” said Zambia goalkeeper Hazel Nali.
Mozambique vs. South Africa
After their victory in the Aisha Buhari tournament, Banyana Banyana encountered some difficulties in putting together good performances, remaining on two consecutive defeats in the semi-finals and third place match in the COSAFA Women’s Championship. The ladies of Desiree Ellis have to get their act together and the bet will not be easy against a team from Mozambique who will play at home.
With the return of internationals like Refiloe, Mothlalo and Kgatlana, South Africa will be on another level. It should also be remembered that Sibulele Holweni, named in the squad, finished top scorer in the COSAFA tournament.
The two teams will reunite after being in the same group during the regional tournament wherein South Africa dominated Mozambique 3-1. But Cidalia Cuta and Cina Manuel who have been prolific during the last stages will be ready to achieve a feat, on the Mozambican side.
The Estadio Nacional de Zimpeto will be the theatre of the match scheduled from 13:00 GMT, with the return leg to follow six days later.
Algeria vs. Sudan
The Desert Foxes participated in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Women’s AFCONS. The desire to register a sixth participation will therefore animate the ladies of Radia Fertoul against Sudan.
Sudan, new to women’s football, is writing maiden pages in its history. Its participation last August in the Arab Cup 2021 will have been a painful but compulsory learning to obtain results. And now is the time to capitalize on the bloody losses to make the most of them.
The first leg will take place on Wednesday at 17:00 GMT at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers. The return leg will take place in Omdurman six days later.
Mali vs. Guinea
Mali’s Eagles led by Bassira Touré and Couloumba Sogoré among others will try to join the next round of the qualifiers.
The brilliant performance from Mali at the last TotalEnergies AFCON in 2018 in Ghana now makes the West African nation a serious contender to this qualifying phase. The Eagles had secured fourth place in the prestigious continental tournament.
Opposite, Guinea will try to qualify for the first time. With 12 participants instead of the 8 in previous editions, the possibilities are more numerous for the Guineans who can hope to create the sensation.
The full schedule for the first round
20.10.2021
13:00 : Uganda vs Ethiopia
13:00 : Eritrea vs Burundi
13:00 : Tanzania vs Namibia
13:00 : Zimbabwe vs Eswatini
13:00 : Mozambique vs South Africa
13:00 : CAR vs Cameroon
14:00 : Malawi vs Zambia
14:00 : Egypt vs Tunisia
14:30 : Congo vs Gabon
15:00 : Kenya vs South Sudan
15:00 : Liberia vs Senegal
15:00 : Nigeria vs Ghana
15:30 : Guinea Bissau vs Mauritania
15:30 : Niger vs Cote d’Ivoire
16:00 : Angola vs Botswana
16:00 : Sierra Leone vs Gambia
16:00 : Burkina Faso vs Benin
16:30 : Mali vs Guinea
17:00 : Algeria vs Sudan
17:00 : Equatorial Guinea vs DRC
22.10.2021
13:00 : Sao Tome vs Togo
Djibouti vs Rwanda canceled due to Rwandan team withdrawal. Djibouti is qualified for the next round.
-Caf
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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