Saturday 27 July 2024

AFCON-2025: ‘Ideal’, ‘Arch-favorite’ Candidate… African Media Admires Morocco’s Infrastructural and Cultural Potential

Libreville – The special envoys of African media, staying in Morocco on the occasion of the 2023 Club World Cup of Football, have praised the “miraculous” sports infrastructure in the various Moroccan cities, calling the Kingdom as the “ideal” and “arch-favorite” candidate … for the organization of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025).

More than 100 African journalists are in Morocco to cover the Club World Cup. But not only! These media representatives had the opportunity to see the potential of the country, including the Mohammed VI Football Complex, which they described as “a unique jewel”, as well as the Grand Stadiums of Tangier, Agadir, Marrakech and Rabat.

In this regard, the Senegalese News Agency (APS) described the complex, located in Maâmora near Salé, as “a jewel at the forefront of modernity” and “an architectural masterpiece that combines expertise, know-how and beauty”, arousing “already from afar the curiosity of the visitor.”

Serving as a training camp for the Moroccan national team and for the clubs that represent the country in international competitions, the facility is equipped with infrastructure that meets the standards of FIFA, it added.

The Malian newspaper “L’Essor” said that Morocco has several sports facilities that meet international standards, while describing as “a unique infrastructure in Africa” the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

The Guinean News Agency (AGP) referred to a facility “with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, in accordance with FIFA standards”.

“The Mohammed VI Sports Complex is “an architectural jewel with infrastructure and equipment for the development of Moroccan soccer,” wrote the Ivorian News Agency (AIP).

The Cameroonian newspapers, “l’Economie quotidien”, and “Intégration” noted that “Morocco has the best sports infrastructure on the continent”, noting that the Kingdom has accumulated solid experience in organizing sporting events.

For its part, the Rwandan News Agency (RNA) stressed that the quality and advanced infrastructure created by the Kingdom raise the Moroccan sport to the level of perfection and world reference.

The Gabonese newspaper “L’Union” referred to the art of the Kingdom to organize events while stressing that “this art” has ended up, over time, by becoming a tradition.

The Gabonese News Agency (AGP) said that “with its experience in organizing major sporting events, in addition to the quality of its infrastructure, Morocco is naturally the favorite to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025)”.

The Nigerian news website “Sportsvillagesquare” indicated that the breathtaking and colorful opening ceremony of the Club World Cup has highlighted “a diverse, ancestral, modern, open, and hospitable Morocco”, a “passionate” country about soccer.

The Kenyan media “KBC” underlined that Morocco has scored important points in its bid to host the finals of the African Cup of Nations.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) is of the same opinion, stating that Morocco is in pole position to host the AFCON-2025 with state-of-the-art sports facilities.

“Morocco is the favorite to host the AFCON-2025,” wrote the Congolese newspaper “Forum Des AS”, while highlighting the infrastructure that meets international standards and sports diplomacy of the Kingdom.

Indeed, confirms the Djibouti newspaper “La Nation”, the Kingdom is the most favored candidate for the organization of the AFCON-2025, thanks to the assets and comparative advantages it has.

MAP

Related news

The final phases of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025), to be held in Morocco, will take place from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announces on Friday.

The opening match of “Africa’s most popular and competitive football competition”, the Africa Cup of Nations, to be held in Morocco, will take place on Sunday December 21, 2025, while the final game will be held on Sunday January 18, 2026, CAF states on its website.

The draw for the qualifiers for this 35th edition will take place on July 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa. A total of 48 nations will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each.

The CAF Executive Committee also announced the dates for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024 that will also be hosted in Morocco.

The competition, which is “growing exponentially”, will be held from July 5 to 26, 2025.

It was also decided to hold the 46th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF in Kinshasa on October 10, according to the same source.

hairman of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, received, on Sunday, the flag of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from president of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, in anticipation of the 35th edition to be held in Morocco in 2025.
The Africa Cup of Nations flag was presented to Lekjaa at the end of the AFCON Côte d’Ivoire-2023 final, held at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpé, north of Abidjan, in the presence of president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, and FIFA head, Gianni Infantino.

At a press conference on Friday, CAF president said that the AFCON to be held in Morocco in 2025 will be “excellent” and will undoubtedly be a “huge success”.

The AFCON-2023 was won by the host country, Côte d’Ivoire, after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final.

This is the third trophy for the Elephants after their 1992 and 2015 triumphs.

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Morocco in 2025 will be “excellent” and will undoubtedly be a “huge success”, said, on Friday, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe.

“The next AFCON will be of a very high standard. As for the date of its organization, we will discuss it after the end of AFCON-2023, currently being held in Côte d’Ivoire,” Motsepe told a press conference, held in Abidjan, two days before the final of Africa’s elite football competition between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.

“Africa is proud of Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and all twenty-four teams taking part in this AFCON,” he noted, pointing out that CAF’s objective is to raise the level of football in every African country, particularly amateur and school football.

The five countries that took part in the World Cup in Qatar (Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Tunisia and Ghana) made us all proud,” he said, adding that these countries will be back in force very soon.

“Africa’s success depends on Africans. The key to success is to work hand in hand, provided we allow young people to contribute to the development of our continent,” he stressed.

Marrakech – The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), to be held in Morocco in 2025, will be “the best in the history of the continent”, said, on Friday in Marrakech, Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

“The eyes of the world will be on the continent when the AFCON 2025 will be held, and I am convinced that this edition will be the best in the history of African football”, stressed Motsepe, in a statement to the press on the sidelines of the plenary session of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In this regard, he said he is “proud” of Morocco’s leadership in football, recently crowned by its selection to host the 2030 World Cup, jointly with Spain and Portugal.

CAF Executive Committee had unanimously chosen the Kingdom to host the 35th edition of AFCON in 2025.

Banjul – The Gambia has welcomed the success of the Kingdom of Morocco’s bid to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025).

The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) has congratulated the Kingdom of Morocco on winning the bid to host AFCON-2025, reported the Gambian media outlet “The Standard.”

The decision was announced on Wednesday by the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after the Executive Committee of the continental football governing body voted in favor of the North African country during its meeting held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, recalled the media outlet.

GFF President Lamin Kabba Bajo described the news as a very positive and well-deserved development, according to the publication. He added that with its high-quality infrastructure, no country was more deserving of hosting the 2025 edition.

Bajo paid tribute to Morocco’s pan-African gesture, which has continued to open its country and facilities to African national teams, including The Gambia, for many years, the same source added.

“Morocco’s various national teams continue to perform exceptionally well at international football tournaments, most recently the Atlas Lions, who became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar. This is the result of the investments they have made over the years and continue to make,” highlighted Bajo.

He also referred to the bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Gambia, among others, in Africa, saying it’s time the continent also gave the Moroccan people reasons to smile.

“I have no doubt that they will organize an exceptional and extraordinary football mega-event,” Bajo said, quoted by the media.

Morocco has been awarded the 2025 African Cup of Nations to replace Guinea, which had the right to host the tournament withdrawn last year. The rights for 2027 have also been awarded to a joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Madrid – The unanimous designation of Morocco to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025) is “an excellent boost” for the tripartite Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup and a “great source of joy for all friends of Morocco,” emphasized the Andalusia-Morocco friendship association “Forum Ibn Rochd”.


Madrid, 29/09/2023 -(MAP)- The unanimous designation of Morocco to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025) is “an excellent boost” for the tripartite Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup and a “great source of joy for all friends of Morocco,” emphasized the Andalusia-Morocco friendship association “Forum Ibn Rochd”.

“We would like to express our joy at Morocco’s victory, designated by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football to host AFCON 2025, the most important football tournament on the continent,” the association stated in a press release.

The same source then highlighted that Morocco’s “well-deserved” selection is not a coincidence but the result of a combination of factors, including a “bold and coherent” state policy in this area, “massive and indisputable public support” for sports, both men’s and women’s, particularly football, and a “very high level in terms of quality and quantity of top-level athletes and international football stars,” as evidenced from its Olympic medals as well as the “outstanding performance” of the national team at the World Cup in Qatar.

“In Andalusia, we are aware of this because we are privileged to have some of the greatest figures in Moroccan football in our teams,” said the association.

“Morocco’s triumph in hosting AFCON-2025 will be an excellent point of support for our countries, Spain and Morocco, along with Portugal, in their bid to host the 2030 Football World Cup, symbolizing the profound twinning between our cultures, our societies, and our continents,” concluded the same source.