AFCON
FORMER COLLEAGUES PAY TRIBUTE TO ITALIA ’90 CAMEROON SKIPPER, STEPHEN TATAW
The class of 1990 to 1994 Cameroon Indomitable Lions has been paying tributes to their captain, Stephen Tataw who died in Yaoundé last Friday.
Sports Village Square gathered from Cameroon Insider, a biweekly publication from the stable of Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation that Joseph Antoine Bell, François Omam-Biyik, former teammate and Rigobert Song among others have expressed their sadness over the death of Tataw, whom they described as an inspirational leader.
Antoine Bell, the former Cameroon goalkeeper remarked: “I was devastated and shocked when I heard Stephen Tataw had died.
“We did not know he was sick. It’s Ndip Akem who posted the information of his illness in the 1990 group and before we could find out what was wrong with him and where he was hospitalised, the bad news of his death was announced.
“Stephen Tataw was a unique leader. He had a listening ear to player’s worries and always tabled them to football stakeholders for solutions.
“For someone from an English-speaking background, he equally spoke very fluent Bassa and most times that was the language we communicated with on the field.”
François Omam-Biyik, whose towering 67th minute header 30 years ago enabled Cameroon shock Argentina 1-0 at the Italia ’90 also spoke in similar vein.
“I’m still to believe he is dead. I could barely catch sleep at night and I think that’s how it’s going to be for the next days.
“Stephen Tataw and I had a very good relationship. He was a nice person and spoke very few words. He was also very discreet and I think that’s one of the qualities that made the coach name him captain.
“He was also fearless I can remember when exchanging pennants with Maradona during our match in the 1990, Maradona tapped his shoulder to encourage him. But Tataw did same to Maradona looking him straight in the eyes. We have lost a great man.”
“I had the opportunity to know and meet him during the 1994 World Cup and at that time I was still very young”, remarked Rigobert Song who captained Cameroon to beat Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations in Lagos in 2000.
Continuing, Song, a Liverpool legend remarked: “He greatly touched my life… he was modest, reserved but yet very efficient in and out of the field.
“Whenever he called me captain, I always told him you are the true captain. This is a major loss for us. Man proposes and God disposes.”
Bertin Ebwellé Ndingué, another member of the Italia ’90 squad remarked: “Cameroon has lost one of its emblematic figures in football.
“He was a defence monster. Both of us met in the 1980’s in Tonnerre Kalara Club. He came from Cammark Kumba and I from Lions of Yaounde and we established a great relationship.
“My first steps in learning how to drive a car was in his vehicle. His courage and imposing leadership will always be remembered. May his soul rest in peace.”
The late Tataw was in the winning team of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988 in Morocco, beating Nigeria 1-0.
His death was announced by Mbombo Njoya, the president of Cameroon football governing body, (FECAFOOT) on his Twitter last Friday: “It is with sad emotions that I learned the death of former Indomitable Lions Captain Stephan Tataw today.”
Stephen Tataw was best known for leading Cameroon against all odds to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 1990. Cameroon beat Argentina with Diego Maradona as captain in the opening match of the tournament to become the first African country to reach that stage of the competition.
He again captained the Lions four years later at the USA ‘94 World Cup.
Born in Ekona, on 31 March 1963, Stephen Tataw started his footballing career with Cammark of Kumba but rose to the limelight when he joined Tonnerre Kalara Club of Yaoundé in 1988 where he spent three years.
From Tonnerre he joined Olympic Mvolye in 1992. After the 1990 World Cup, Stephen Tataw had unsuccessful stints with English League First Division club Queens Park Rangers on trial and Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion.
In 1995, he joined Tosu Futures of Japan. He became the first African footballer to play for a professional Japanese club.
Before his death, Tataw was a member of FECAFOOT’s Technical Football Department. His last public appearance was during the draws of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) at the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex. He walked in with the trophy.
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.”
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Morocco 2025: Nigeria qualify for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup
NFF ‘shocked and saddened’ by the demise of former NRA President, Otunba Tade Azeez
Heartbreak for Al Ahly as Sundowns edge to CAF Champions League final on away goals rule
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL7 days ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON7 days ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- feature4 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu