President of the African Football Federation Patrice Motsepe has hailed the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco as the best edition ever, citing infrastructure, transport networks, hotels, stadiums, and training facilities.
Speaking at a press conference Saturday, on the eve of the final between Morocco and Senegal, the CAF president took the opportunity to express his sincere thanks to King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government, and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
“African football must be the best in the world. We must excel at the highest level. My wish is for all five regions of Africa to be able to host the AFCON, provided that infrastructure meets the required standards.”
CAF Chief said the wish is to lay solid foundations for the development of African football that will bear fruit in the years to come. In addition, he announced that the African Nations League will be held in 2029 with the participation of all 54 countries.
“Imagine Kenya versus Tanzania, Ghana versus Nigeria, Egypt versus Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire versus Cameroon,” Motsepe said about the new competition, which was announced last December in Rabat, noting that the best players will take part since the tournament will be held during the FIFA international window.
According to the CAF president, the format will be zonal, with all zone winners facing each other for the ultimate title.
“Many countries want to host the 2028 AFCON and the African Nations League in 2029,” Motsepe said, defending the idea of holding the AFCON every four years.
“An AFCON every four years will be in the interest of African football. This is a well-thought-out decision,” he noted, stressing the independence of CAF’s decision-making.
“We must free ourselves as Africans and not believe that every decision we take is dictated by FIFA or Europe,” he underscored.
Regarding refereeing performances at AFCON 2025, Motsepe said: “We have confidence in our African referees. All 54 countries on the continent must be treated on an equal footing.”
The president of the Kenyan Football Federation (FKF), Hussein Mohammed, praised the resounding success of AFCON 2025 at all levels, noting that Morocco has set a very high standard for future editions of the continental tournament.
Speaking during a visit by a Kenyan delegation to Rabat as part of preparations for AFCON 2027, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the FKF president highlighted that Morocco delivered one of the finest lessons in African football, both organizationally and on the sporting side, expressing his satisfaction with how Africa was represented during this edition.
Cited by Kenyan media on Saturday, Hussein noted that all participating teams delivered high-level performances, made possible by Morocco’s thorough and well-executed organization of the tournament, and said that the country has established new standards for future hosts.
“Morocco has set a new benchmark,” he stated, emphasizing the quality of organization and the Kingdom’s commitment to the success of the tournament. Kenya intends to draw inspiration from Morocco’s experience to capitalize on best practices in organizing major continental competitions, the FKF president said.
He expressed full confidence in Kenya’s ability, alongside Uganda and Tanzania, to host a “world-class” AFCON 2027 by learning from the Moroccan model and the unprecedented success of AFCON 2025.
“I am particularly honored to have led the Kenyan delegation to Morocco on a visit aimed at learning best practices that can help make AFCON 2027 a major event and a complete success, just like the Moroccan experience,” he emphasized.
