AFCON
Home is far away for Madagascar in AFCON qualifying
When Madagascar host the Gambia in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday they will play in Moroccan city Casablanca — 8,250 kilometres (5,125 miles) from the Indian Ocean country.
The team is one of 16 teams forced to seek neutral venues for matchday 3 and 4 fixtures because they lack an international-standard stadium.
Madagascar meet Gambia in Group A at the 18,500-seat Larbi Zaouli Stadium. With Tunisia set to win the section, both teams are eyeing second place and the other qualification spot.
Tunisia are alone among the four nations in the mini-league who are able to play at home in a six-round competition that will produce 23 qualifiers to join 2025 hosts Morocco.
Gambia will play in El Jadida, a coastal city 100 kilometres south of Casablanca, and the Comoros have opted for Abidjan, commercial capital of the Ivory Coast.
For African football powerhouses Tunisia, seeking a record extending 22nd consecutive appearance at the biennial AFCON, playing rivals at neutral venues makes qualifying that much easier.
Away to Gambia in El Jadida last month, Tunisia were cheered by hundreds of supporters who travelled with the team or live in Morocco. Gambia, on the other hand, had minimal backing.
Aware of this disparity in the stands, Comoros chose to face Tunisia next Tuesday in the Ivory Coast rather than Morocco. They first meet in Rades near Tunis on Friday.
“Playing Tunisia in Morocco would have been a disadvantage for us,” national football federation president Said Ali Athouman told the Comoran media.
‘Many advantages’
“Tunisian supporters can reach Morocco relatively easily, and they would create the impression that we were playing away twice in a row.
“Hosting Tunisia in Abidjan means we will be playing at a genuine neutral venue,” added the official.
Lesotho, Central African Republic, Benin, Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Burundi and Burkina Faso are other countries without suitable stadiums.
Sudan cannot play at home because of a civil war and Kenya are displaced due to stadium renovations for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Among the “homeless”, only Burkina Faso are a top-20 ranked team. Many of the others are lowly ranked, and not being able to play at home makes trying to qualify that much more difficult.
“Playing at home carries many advantages — you lose a lot by not being able to do so,” former Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango told AFP.
“A nation forced to play home matches in other countries hands the advantage to their opponents.”
South Africa-based Onyango said the biggest challenge facing football in Africa was ensuring every country had at least one international-standard stadium.
African governing body CAF recently cited an “uneven surface, poor drainage and inadequate grass cover” for banning the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi from hosting matches involving Ghana.
Apart from pitches, checks by the continental organisation include spectator facilities and changing rooms when determining the status of a venue.
-AFP
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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