By KUNLE SOLAJA.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will break new ground by kicking off in December for the very first time in its 68-year history.

 The adjustment was made to avoid a clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, forcing CAF to push Africa’s showpiece into the festive period.

The timing brings with it unique opportunities. Staging AFCON during the holiday season is expected to boost tourism and fan travel, as visitors combine football with end-of-year celebrations in Morocco’s host cities.

But the scheduling also rekindles the familiar club-versus-country debate, as European teams may be reluctant to release their African stars during one of the busiest stretches of the domestic season.

Beyond the immediate concerns, the December start carries symbolic weight: it marks a historic shift, making AFCON 2025 the first edition ever to straddle two calendar years, running from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

Why December Matters

• New Timing: First AFCON to kick off in December, adjusted due to FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup.
• Festive Season: Tournament coincides with holidays, boosting tourism and fan travel.
• Club vs. Country Debate: European clubs may face pressure releasing players during a busy domestic season.
• Historic Shift: First AFCON to straddle two calendar years — 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, who just returned from Morocco.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and host nation Morocco today are expected to officially launched the 100-day countdown to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a tournament that carries the dreams and passions of an entire continent.

The 35th edition of Africa’s premier football competition will be historic in many ways. For the first time, the event will be staged in December, with the opening whistle on 21 December 2025, and the final to be played on 18 January 2026 — the first AFCON to straddle two calendar years.

It is also the first year-ending AFCON tournament.

Morocco’s Big Stage

Far from treating AFCON as a routine tournament, Morocco is positioning it as a continental festival of football and culture.

Stadiums in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir and Fes have undergone significant makeovers, with some described as “elegant and regal” in readiness to host the 24 qualified nations.

The massively upgraded Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

Virtually every sector of the kingdom has keyed into the tournament. The Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO) has rolled out aggressive global campaigns, spotlighting the country as a vibrant hub for African tourism.

 The efforts appear to be paying off: global travel platform Kayak recently ranked Morocco 6th among the world’s best countries to visit in 2025 — a recognition expected to grow as AFCON nears.

Beyond Football

For Morocco, the Africa Cup of Nations is not just about goals and glory. Authorities see it as a catalyst for economic growth, tourism, and international reputation. CAF President Patrice Motsepe has repeatedly described Morocco as a “reliable partner” in showcasing Africa’s capacity to host world-class sporting events.

The tournament also arrives at a symbolic moment, with African football enjoying renewed global visibility following Morocco’s trailblazing semi-final run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

A Continental Invitation

For African fans, the 100-day countdown is more than a date circled on the calendar. It is an invitation to dream, to hope, and to rally behind nations seeking continental supremacy.

For some players, AFCON 2025 will represent a final chance to etch their names into history; for nations, it will be an opportunity to unify their people under the banner of the beautiful game.

As the clock ticks down, all eyes turn to Morocco — to see whether AFCON 2025 can deliver not only thrilling football, but also a legacy of progress for the continent.

The Host Cities at a Glance

• Rabat – Opening match, one semi-final, and the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
• Casablanca – Home to Mohammed V Stadium, one of Africa’s most iconic football venues.
• Marrakech – Known for its tourist appeal, ready to merge culture with football fever.
• Tangier – Northern gateway city with a modern stadium overlooking the Mediterranean.
• Agadir – A coastal resort city offering fans sun, beaches, and football.
• Fes – Morocco’s historic city adds cultural weight to the AFCON spectacle.

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By KUNLE SOLAJA, Rabat, Morocco

In Maâmoura, just outside Rabat, the spirit of Moroccan football now has a permanent home.

Nestled within the same grounds that host FIFA’s Regional Office for Africa and the state-of-the-art Mohammed VI Football Complex, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has unveiled a national museum.

The experience at the Moroccan Football Museum is captivating.

It feels less like a building and more like a living, breathing chronicle of the game.

Stepping inside is like opening a storybook written in green, red, and white. These are the colours of a kingdom.

This kingdom has always seen football as more than just a pastime.

 Here, history is not simply preserved, it is staged with drama and reverence, each exhibit designed to remind visitors that Morocco’s passion for the game has shaped its identity for more than a century.

The museum, inaugurated in March 2024 after three years of meticulous work, is the brainchild of the FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa. Beyond football, he is Morocco’s Minister Delegate for the Budget.

Fouzi Lekjaa whose brainchild is the football museum

To bring his vision of a football museum to life, Lekjaa assembled a scientific committee of 22 renowned researchers and journalists, ensuring that the narrative of Moroccan football would be told with both precision and poetry.

 “It is a project for generations,” explained deputy curator Oumay Walid, her voice carrying equal parts pride and responsibility as she guided guests past glittering trophies and fragile black-and-white photographs.

Deputy curator Oumay Walid, explains what the football museum is all about

The architecture itself feels like part of the exhibition. It includes 1,350 square metres of permanent display space and a 310-square-metre gallery for temporary shows. There is also an intimate 42-seat projection hall, VIP lounges, and a documentation centre.

 Even the museum store, lined with Moroccan football apparel, speaks to a modern vision where sport and culture are intertwined with commerce.

But it is within the thematic journey of the museum that the soul of Moroccan football truly unfolds. Six distinct zones map out a century of triumphs and trials.

The opening section, The Royal Vision, pays tribute to King Mohammed VI and his predecessors, who elevated football to a pillar of national identity.

From there, The Pioneers transports visitors back to Morocco’s earliest victories and the figures who first carried the Atlas Lions’ roar beyond their borders.

The museum captures the past and presents the present.

The mood shifts in The Land of Excellence, where shimmering displays celebrate national and club successes from the 1950s to the present day.

 It is a room heavy with pride, charting the ascent that culminated in Morocco’s historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar 2022.

The Hall of Fame is a quieter, more intimate space, yet perhaps the most emotional: a gallery of players, coaches, administrators, and even fans whose devotion shaped the narrative of Moroccan football.

 Nearby, Prestigious Moments relives the tournaments hosted on Moroccan soil, the international stars who graced its stadiums, and the milestones that confirmed Morocco’s place on the global stage.

Finally, Objects of Memory anchors the entire experience. Behind glass, battered leather footballs, scuffed boots, and sepia-toned match programmes whisper of sweat-soaked afternoons and nights when an entire nation held its breath.

 Past national trophies are well preserved in encased glass shelves.

Enormous audiovisual screens loom above, replaying goals that once made the streets erupt in song.

What makes the museum compelling is not only what it displays but what it represents. Since 1906, football in Morocco has been more than a game; it has been a mirror of society, a theatre of dreams, and a unifier across generations.

 By curating this legacy with such care, Morocco positions itself as Africa’s custodian of football heritage—a country determined to show the continent that football is both memory and future, emotion and enterprise.

As visitors step back into the Rabat sunlight, the symbolism is impossible to miss.

Morocco may be Africa’s top-ranked footballing nation, but here it proclaims something greater: it is a Kingdom of Light, illuminating the way football can inspire, educate, and even fuel economies.

The national museum is not simply a monument to the past—it is a beacon for the continent’s footballing future.

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