By Kunle Solaja, Marrakesh

Covering the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has been a study in contrasts; stadiums and silence, deadlines and detours. In Marrakech, football loosened its grip just enough to allow history, art and motion to take centre stage. Good enough, Thursday and Friday were match-free days.

The initial assembly of 24 teams has narrowed to four, and just two hosts, Morocco and former champions, Senegal, are in contention for the title battle on Sunday. Getting the ticket for the potentially epic final match has been difficult.

As a sports reporter, my natural workstation should have been the press tribunes. However, special courtesies were extended that allowed me to experience matches from the hospitality tribunes; an exceptional privilege that added a different dimension to my Africa Cup of Nations coverage.

 For this, I owe profound gratitude to my hosts, the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME), and to the highly efficient Houda El Kinani of Moumen Travel Agency.

Houda El Kinani was the quiet engine behind seamless operations, overseeing ticketing and coordinating the full spectrum of logistics—accommodation and transportation—for numerous Africa Cup of Nations fans.

Houda El Kinani, the Director at Moumen Travel

Operating with remarkable precision, she shuttled tirelessly from her base in Casablanca to Tangier, Rabat and beyond, ensuring that movements were timely, plans intact and expectations exceeded.

Her professionalism and attention to detail reflected the hallmark efficiency of Moumen Travel Agency, whose capacity to deliver stress-free, end-to-end travel solutions positions it as a dependable partner for sports events, media assignments and premium travel experiences across Morocco.

Back to the Red City of Marrakesh, one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and the fourth largest in the kingdom, the day began at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, a striking modern structure that feels both rooted and forward-looking.

Inside, the journey of the legendary designer unfolds through sketches, garments, photographs and immersive displays. For a sports reporter, the parallels were immediate: discipline behind beauty, repetition behind brilliance, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Yves Saint Laurent’s bond with Marrakech; its colours, textures and light, reads like a long-term home advantage.

A short walk away lies the Jardin Majorelle, where the famed Majorelle Blue asserts itself with quiet confidence. The garden is a choreography of cacti, palms and water features; precise, calming, and irresistibly photogenic.

The hum of the city fades here, replaced by the sounds of birdsong and the gentle splash of fountains. It’s the kind of pause athletes cherish mid-tournament; the kind journalists rarely get, unless the road is generous.

In one of the exhibition halls, there seems to be employment of immersive elements with the use of thematic lighting that sets a nighttime mood and with a starry sky. I was first disoriented, feeling as if I had stayed too long at the museum. Then a check on my time piece indicated just a little before noon. It was amazing. Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed to capture the environment.

From contemplation to cuisine, our group of journalists regrouped for lunch at Trattoria Restaurant. The meal was convivial, the conversation free-flowing—fixtures gave way to flavour, tactics to travel tales. It was the perfect reset before the day’s most memorable movement.

Then came the convoy.

Six horse-pulled carts lined up, polished and patient, their drivers smiling like co-conspirators. For me, it was a first riding a cart through Marrakech and the experience unfolded like a slow-motion highlight reel.

Riding the cart for the first time is an amazing experience in Marrakech.

Hooves clipped rhythmically against the road, the city revealed itself in layers, and time seemed to downshift. We rolled toward the Medina of Marrakech, passing faces, colours and corners that felt lifted from another century.

The cart ride was splendid—unhurried, intimate, unforgettable. It offered a vantage point no vehicle could replicate, a gentle glide into the medina’s living museum of alleys and echoes. In that moment, the city wasn’t something to be covered; it was something to be carried.

As AFCON narratives continue to write themselves in goals and graphs, this detour will live elsewhere, in the quiet archive of experiences worth keeping. From Majorelle Blue to the cadence of hooves, this was Marrakech reminding a sports reporter that the best journeys aren’t always on the match schedule.

Some memories are for headlines. Others are for eternal storage.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

When Morocco and Senegal walk out at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday for the Africa Cup of Nations final, two men on opposite benches will be united by a shared history of heartbreak – and a burning desire for redemption, with Nigeria woven into both of their painful journeys.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui and his Senegal counterpart Pape Thiaw both know what it feels like to lose an AFCON final as players – and in both cases, their road to heartbreak passed through Nigeria.

Thiaw was part of the Senegal squad that reached the 2002 final, defeating Nigeria 2–1 after extra time in the semi-finals, only to suffer the agony of a penalty shootout loss to defending champions Cameroon after a goalless draw in the decider.

Two years later, Regragui played in the Morocco side that opened the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations by beating Nigeria 1–0, before going on to reach the final, where the Atlas Lions were edged 2–1 by hosts Tunisia.

Now, more than two decades on, both men return to the biggest stage in African football with a chance to rewrite their personal histories.

Senegal have since played in two further finals, losing to Algeria in 2019 before lifting the trophy for the first time in 2021 after defeating Egypt on penalties. For Thiaw, that long road from near-miss to triumph has shaped a coaching career built on resilience and belief.

Morocco’s journey has been longer and more frustrating. Before this tournament, the Atlas Lions had failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in eight successive AFCON appearances since finishing runners-up in 2004.

That narrative changed under Regragui, the man who transformed Moroccan football with a historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, stunning Belgium, Spain and Portugal along the way.

Appointed just three months before the World Cup after the dismissal of Vahid Halilhodzic, Regragui led Morocco to become the first African and Arab nation to reach the last four of the global showpiece, resetting expectations back home and across the continent.

Yet that success brought its own pressure. Morocco arrived at the 2025 AFCON as overwhelming favourites, only to be humbled by South Africa in the round of 16 – a setback Regragui says taught the team a vital lesson in humility.

“We have not won the AFCON for 50 years because we lacked humility in many tournaments,” Regragui said. “My job is to keep our feet on the ground. We came here with confidence, but nothing is guaranteed.”

Rejuvenated and re-focused, Morocco now stands one victory away from ending a half-century wait for a second continental title, their first since the 1976 triumph in Ethiopia.

For Thiaw, the final is another chapter in a remarkable rise. After guiding Senegal’s home-based side to African Nations Championship glory in 2023, he took charge of the senior national team in December 2024 and has lost just once since, to Brazil in a London friendly.

Dakar-born and capped 16 times, Thiaw brings the scars of 2002 – and the lessons of beating Nigeria before falling at the final hurdle – into Sunday’s showdown.

In Rabat, the Africa Cup of Nations final will be more than a battle for silverware. It will be a collision of two journeys shaped by pain, patience and perseverance – and for one of these coaches, a chance to finally turn final-day heartbreak into history.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Top of Form

By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

Despite their status as Africa’s top-ranked football nation, Morocco has just one Africa Cup of Nations title to their name – and it came half a century ago. On Sunday in Rabat, the Atlas Lions will attempt to close that long chapter of near-misses and heartbreak when they face Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco’s only continental triumph came in 1976 in Ethiopia, a time when the current monarch, King Mohammed VI, was still a teenager. He appears in a famous group photograph with that victorious squad, a team inspired by the lethal finishing of centre forward Ahmed Faras.

The reception of the AFCON-winning team of Morocco in 1976. In the middle, wearing a blue suit, is Prince Mohammed, who is today King Mohammed VI.

Since then, Morocco have repeatedly knocked on the door of continental glory without quite breaking through. They were runners-up in Tunisia in 2004, losing 2–1 to the hosts, and suffered painful semi-final exits to Nigeria in 1980, Cameroon in 1988 and Egypt in 2006 – with each of those conquerors going on to lift the trophy.

Now, 50 years on, Morocco are back in a final, chasing a second crown and seeking to validate the remarkable rise of their football under King Mohammed VI, whose close association with sport predates his enthronement in July 1999 following the passing of his father, King Hassan II.

This year’s final carries striking historical parallels. In 1976, Morocco beat Nigeria on their way to the title before defeating Guinea, another West African nation, in the decisive match. Half a century later, Nigeria have again fallen to Morocco, while another West African powerhouse, Senegal, stands between the Atlas Lions and continental glory. Even the third-place playoff mirrors history, with Nigeria and Egypt once more contesting the bronze medal.

Morocco’s preparations and organisation for the tournament have drawn widespread praise, with world-class stadiums and seamless logistics showcasing the country’s ambition to set new benchmarks for African football. The North African kingdom has invested heavily in infrastructure and human capital, positioning itself as a continental hub with growing political and financial influence in the global game.

Sunday’s final offers Morocco the chance to underline their standing as one of Africa’s dominant football nations and finally end a 50-year wait for a second Africa Cup of Nations title. Against a formidable Senegal side, the Atlas Lions will not only be playing for silverware, but for history itself.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H