AFCON
Yes, Host Nations Have Lost Final Matches! –
BY ADEMOLA OLAJIRE
There is nothing sacrilegious about host nations losing in the Final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, as a number of host nations have come so close, seen the trophy displayed in front of their vociferous and passionate fans and yet failed to get their hands on the coveted prize.
In the fifth edition of the championship in 1965 (the competition’s founding nations were Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Africa, though South Africa eventually did not take part until 1996, a fall-out of her apartheid policies), hosts Tunisia lost 2-3 (after extra time) to defending champions Ghana at the Stade Chedli Zouiten in Tunis.
In 1982, Ghana was passing through a phase of harsh economic conditions, and military strongman Jerry John Rawlings said the government could not afford to send the Black Stars to Libya for the 13th AFCON. Libya’s strongman Moamer Ghadaffi bailed the team out by sending an aircraft to fly the Black Stars to Tripoli. In the opening match, both teams played a 2-2 draw.
Incidentally, they met in the Final two weeks later, with Ghana winning 7-6 after penalties following a 1-1 draw.
In 2000, as co-hosts and staging the Final match, Nigeria forced Cameroon to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium, Lagos and then lost the ensuing penalty shootout 3-4 to the Indomitable Lions.
However, some host nations have also had joy in the tournament’s history. Like Egypt beating Sudan 2-1 in Cairo in 1959; Ethiopia beating Egypt 4-2 in Addis Ababa in 1962; Ghana beating Sudan 3-0 in Accra in 1963; Sudan beating Ghana 1-0 in Khartoum in 1970; Ghana beating Uganda 2-0 in Accra in 1978; Nigeria defeating Algeria 3-0 in Lagos in 1980; Egypt defeating Cameroon on penalties in Cairo in 1986; Algeria beating Nigeria 1-0 in Algiers in 1990; South Africa beating Tunisia 2-0 in Johannesburg in 1996; Tunisia defeating Morocco 2-1 in Tunis in 2004 and; Egypt defeating Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in 2006.
While Nigeria’s victories have been within regulation time in 1980, 1994 and 2013, Cote d’Ivoire’s two wins have been after marathon penalty shootouts.
In 1992, with their star-man Abedi Pele suspended after receiving a red card in the semi final against Nigeria, Ghana struggled and could not find a way past the Ivorians. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, Cote d’Ivoire triumphed 11-10, the trophy secured after defender Anthony Baffoe saw his kick saved by Alain Gouamene.
In 2015, they needed to defeat Ghana 9-8 in a penalty shootout to win in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.
Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-0 in the 1980 Final in Lagos, two of the goals from the boots of Segun Odegbami. In 1994, Emmanuel Amuneke scored both goals as the Eagles edged Zambia 2-1 in Tunis. In 2013, Sunday Mba’s early strike against Burkina Faso in Johannesburg was the only goal of the match.
This time, Nigeria’s progress has been relatively smooth, with a team that has shown good shape and proved to be near-impregnable. As they drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea, defeated Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola and edged South Africa after a penalty shootout, the only goal that Stanley Nwabali has conceded in open play has been that of Emilio Nsue on the opening day, when his vision was blocked to a shot at the edge of the box.
The Elephants have had a chequered tourney. Roarious 2-0 winners over Guinea Bissau, they were brought down to earth by Nigeria (0-1) and Equatorial Guinea (0-4). They were the last of the best four third-placed teams, sneaking into the Round of 16 after Hakim Ziyech’s goal eliminated Zambia. They equalized late on against Cup holders Senegal in the Round of 16 and then won on penalties.
In the quarter-finals, they were seconds away from being eliminated by Mali, before they found the leveller, and then secured a last-minute winner in extra time. Against Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-finals, the Elephants held on and then won with a volley by Sebastien Haller.
On Sunday, there will be 60,000 fans at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpé, but it is the team that wants it more that will drink from the Cup.
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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