Friday 05 December 2025

Friday 05 December 2025

Lekjaa Calls CAF’s Choice of Morocco as Host Nation a Culmination of Development Spearheaded by HM the King

Rabat – Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), has emphasized that the unanimous decision by members of the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Executive Committee to grant Morocco the honor of hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a culmination of the development initiatives spearheaded by HM King Mohammed VI over the past two decades across various domains.

In a statement to MAP following the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, Lekjaa underlined that this choice also underscores Morocco’s readiness to host major sporting events under optimal conditions.

“Today, Morocco, with unanimous African approval and without any debate, has the honor of hosting the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. It is the crowning achievement of extraordinary work led by a Great King. It is also the finest reward for a football-loving nation,” he said.

He went on to state that hosting 2025 AFCON in Morocco is the first step, to be followed by another significant endeavor: bidding to host the 2030 World Cup jointly with Spain and Portugal.

In this regard, Lekjaa stressed that the Kingdom will transform this event into a “rebirth of Mediterranean civilization between the north and south of the Mediterranean,” noting that the African continent will rally behind Morocco to achieve this goal, which is also an African aspiration.

The Kingdom of Morocco was unanimously chosen as the host nation for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (2025 AFCON) following the meeting of the CAF Executive Committee in Cairo on Wednesday.

Additionally, the Committee awarded the organization of 2027’s edition to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, who had submitted a joint bid.

MAP

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 In coordination with the relevant Moroccan authorities and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Local Organizing Committee informs all supporters of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco that electronic visas to Morocco via the Yalla app for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are now free of charge.

In a press release shared on Tuesday, the organizing committee reiterated that the FAN ID is mandatory for access to any stadium hosting the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, noting that applications for electronic visas and FAN IDs are processed simultaneously on the Yalla app.

According to the same source, the official website for the Yalla app for obtaining a FAN ID is: https://www.yallamorocco.ma. 

“In order to better assist applicants, a dedicated customer service line (+212 5 30 30 20 30) has been launched,” the press release says, adding that it is available in three languages (Arabic, English, and French) and has a team on hand to answer any questions and assist users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Applicants can also contact the support team via email at [email protected],” the same source adds.

“The organizing committee would like to thank all the fans, media, delegations, and partners for their enthusiasm and reaffirms its commitment to ensuring an optimal experience for everyone,” the press release concludes.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), in partnership with leading global sports brand PUMA, unveiled on Monday the Official Match Ball for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in Morocco in 2025.

Named ITRI, the ball draws inspiration from Morocco’s centuries-old zellij art form – renowned for its intricate geometric mosaics – whilst symbolising the unity and passion of African football across the continent, CAF said on its official website.

The name also pays tribute to the star featured on the Moroccan flag and reflects the star patterns that hold significance in traditional zellij craftsmanship, the same source added, noting that the ball will make its first appearance during the competition’s opening match on December 21, 2025.

The ball’s striking design incorporates traditional Moroccan zellij geometric patterns, characterized by central star geometry, floral petal outlines and circular symmetry, CAF explained, noting that each design element carries cultural significance.

Among other things, the star symbolizes ambition, light, and the pursuit of excellence on Africa’s biggest footballing stage, while the petals represent celebration, growth, and the festive spirit that defines the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON. The circular symmetry reflects the unity of the 24 nations coming together for the tournament.

The unique design also features ‘Flow of Movement’ patterns that capture the distinctive rhythm and dynamic playing style of African football. The ball’s red and green colour palette expresses passion, hope and pride while also paying homage to Morocco’s national identity.

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) announced the extension of the Media Accreditation for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 to Monday, 20 October 2025, due to a high global demand.

In a press release on its official website, CAF says it has received unprecedented interest from all over the world from media representatives, reflecting the great interest in this edition, stressing that this huge demand has necessitated an extension by CAF.

To ensure that media who are experiencing challenges either with their media applications for accreditation or to access to the media channel are attended to, CAF has also allocated additional resources and human capital.

Additionally, CAF has established a dedicated media services planning desk for all media to be based in Rabat at the Main Media Centre, noting that it is already operational at the CAF Rabat Office.

The AFCON finals will take place from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026. 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided, on Thursday, to delay the opening of the first phase of ticket sales for the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in order to finalize important details that will ensure the best possible fan experience.

“CAF is working with the Local Organizing Committee (“LOC”) and various stakeholders and will announce a new date for the first phase of the ticket sales in due course,” the African body said in a press release.

“CAF apologizes for any inconvenience caused,” the same source added.

The Moroccan national team of local players lost 1-0 to their Kenyan counterpart in the third matchday of Group A in the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024), held this Sunday in Nairobi.

The winning goal for Kenya was scored by Rambok Ryan Wesley Ogam in the 42nd minute.

The Moroccan team, which was exempt from the second matchday, now has three points from two matches.

The other match in this group will see Zambia face Angola.

(MAP:10 August 2025)

Morocco’s national team of local players defeated Angola 2-0 in Group A’s first matchday of the African Nations Championship (CHAN-2024), played on Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

The Atlas Lions won thanks to goals from Imad Riahi (29′) and Angola’s Quinito (81′), who scored an own goal.

Following this victory, Morocco takes sits atop its group (3 points), ahead of Kenya, which defeated DR Congo 1-0 the same day at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, with a goal by Austin Odhiambo (45+2′).

Nineteen national teams, composed exclusively of players from African national leagues, are taking part in this 8th edition of the CHAN.

This is the first edition to be jointly organized by three East African countries: Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

(MAP: 03 August 2025)