Saturday 27 July 2024

Morocco Unanimously Designated Host Country of AFCON-2025 (Official)

Cairo – The Kingdom of Morocco has been unanimously designated host country of the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025), following a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and a member of the CAF Executive Committee.

During the meeting, Lekjaa presented the Moroccan bid book, reiterating the Kingdom’s commitment, in accordance with the High Instructions of HM King Mohammed VI, to consolidating South-South cooperation with African countries, on the path to achieving their development in various fields.

In this respect, he stressed that Morocco is driven by the desire to contribute to the development of African football, noting that it was on the basis of this conviction that the Kingdom applied to organize the AFCON-2025.

Lekjaa promised that the tournament would be “safe, peaceful, up to international standards and in the best possible conditions, guaranteeing a unique experience for players, fans, visitors and television viewers all over the world.”

Morocco, he said, is continuing to modernize its sports infrastructures, which it is making available to Africa, in addition to exchanging its experience with the countries of the continent in organizing competitions of international stature, capable of inspiring the rising generations for a world of solidarity, justice and tolerance.

The FRMF President spoke of the developed infrastructure offered by the Kingdom for the organization of this flagship event for African football, in particular the stadiums which meet CAF requirements and are ready to host the competition, whether in Rabat and Casablanca or in Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.

He also highlighted Morocco’s extensive experience in organizing major events, not only in the sporting arena, but in all fields, thanks to a network of modern and well-developed infrastructures.

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.