The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to start this Sunday in Morocco is a crucial stepping stone in the country’s ambitious journey to become a global football powerhouse and a significant dress rehearsal for its co-hosting duties at the 2030 World Cup, says British newspaper “The Independent”.
The North African nation, which reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, will welcome 24 teams from across the continent, in nine new or renovated stadiums in six cities, says the daily.
Morocco regularly hosts “home” games for other African nations during World Cup qualifiers and recently secured the rights to host five consecutive Under-17 Women’s World Cups, alongside the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July, adds the British publication.
A cornerstone of Morocco’s grand vision is the planned Hassan II Stadium, projected to be the world’s largest football arena with a capacity of 115,000 upon its completion in 2028.
This new national stadium epitomizes one of Africa’s most aggressive infrastructure drives, says the Independent, noting that Morocco has pursued rapid development across various sectors, updating airports, expanding high-speed rail networks, and attracting major tourism investments to cities such as Marrakech and Tangier, all aimed at accommodating a surge in visitors.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has simultaneously invested heavily in youth development and coaching, aiming to elevate standards across the sport, says the daily, citing in this regard the Mohammed VI Football Complex near Rabat, which serves as the training base for the senior national team during the Africa Cup. This commitment to nurturing young talent appears to be yielding results.
Morocco’s historic performance run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals was a first for any African or Arab side, and the nation further cemented its rising status by winning the Under-20 World Cup in October.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, articulated this ambition to French sports paper L’Equipe in July, stating: “It’s not dreaming, we have legitimate ambitions.”
The tournament also unfolds as Morocco actively works to solidify its position as a regional power. Through its “Atlantic Initiative”, the country, which has long been perceived as a gateway to Europe, seeks to deepen ties with landlocked nations in West and Central Africa to expand the reach of its banking and telecommunications industries and offer those without coastlines access to newly constructed ports, says the Independent.
TV5Monde on its part comments that African fervor is sweeping Morocco less than a week prior to the kickoff of the AFCON, an event putting the Kingdom in the international spotlight.
In a reporting on “AFCON vibes in Morocco,” the French media outlet highlights the palpable African fervor in the streets of major cities, where fan zones have been set up and giant billboards display the slogan “Kingdom of Football.”
“At the entrance to the huge TVG stations, in cafes, restaurants, trams… Everything is decked out in the colors of the event with messages in several languages welcoming supporters,” says the channel’s correspondent.
At airports, organizers promise an unprecedented welcome for visitors, with a particular focus on guidance and easy access to sports facilities, she explains, noting that ads have been prepared specifically for supporters coming from abroad.
According to TV5Monde, this AFCON aims to captivate the entire world. “The Kingdom has no intention of limiting African football to Africa alone but rather seeks to project Morocco and the continent onto the global sporting stage.”
It is in this spirit, the channel points out, that events have been organized in major world capitals such as London and Paris to gather people around the continent’s prime sporting competition.
For French sports daily L’Equipe , the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), held from December 21 to January 18, is a “must” in terms of infrastructure and organization.
“Morocco is aiming to deliver the best AFCON in history,” the newspaper writes, highlighting the top-tier infrastructure in place to host the 24 African national teams.
However, L’Equipe notes that the tournament’s ultimate success will depend on the organizers, adding that the Atlas Lions, among the competition’s favorites, are eager to reclaim a trophy that has eluded Morocco since 1976.
Describing it as “a country still waiting for a title that slipped away in Ethiopia,” the daily observes that Morocco’s recent footballing achievements have reignited national hopes.
The paper recalls the Atlas Lions’ historic semifinal run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the U-20 World Cup title, the rise of women’s football, and Achraf Hakimi’s African Player of the Year title, factors it deems as fueling a growing sense of sporting “superpower” status.
Morocco is seeking to add “a royal chapter” to the collective history of the AFCON by combining unprecedented infrastructure with popular enthusiasm and high sporting ambition, aiming to leave a lasting imprint on African football, the daily says.
For the executives of the African football governing body, the CAF, AFCON Morocco 2025 will be the best ever, with more than one million tickets sold.
The sentiment was echoed by CAF secretary general, Véron Mosengo-Omba, who said that AFCON in Morocco, “will be the best ever organized,” outlining that the tournament would be one of “all records.”
He highlighted the quality of the “world-class infrastructure” put in place by Morocco to ensure the success of Africa’s flagship competition.
“We have never played an AFCON with such enthusiasm,” he said, adding that the quality of this AFCON is particularly reflected in the more than one million tickets sold so far.
“The indicators are there. We have never played an AFCON with nine stadiums,” he said, noting that “the popular enthusiasm for this competition is unprecedented.”
AFCON Morocco 2025 matches will be played in nine stadiums located in six cities, namely Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir, Fez and Marrakech.
