AFCON
BURUNDI, NIGERIA’S 1ST AFCON OPPONENTS, LOSE PLAYER
A midfielder of Burundi due to face Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Papy Faty has died.
The 28-year old player reportedly collapsed after seeing off half an hour of the Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) Premier League Week 23 action between his club Malanti Chiefs and title chasers Green Mamba played at Killarney Stadium in Piggs Peak north of Eswatini on Thursday afternoon.
CAF President Ahmad Ahmad has expressed shock at the passing away of the player.
“On behalf of the CAF Executive Committee and on my own behalf, I extend my
deepest condolences to the Burundi Football Federation, Eswatini Football
Association, the bereaved family and the Burundian football family. My thoughts
are with you at this difficult moment,” Ahmad said.
After receiving preliminary medical attention from both teams’ doctors, Faty
was rushed to Piggs Peak Government Hospital, less than half a kilometre away
from the stadium where he was pronounced dead upon admission shortly before
1600hrs local time (14h00 GMT).
Malanti Chiefs co-director and Premier League of Eswatini board of governor,
Victor Rodrigues confirmed the emotion tearing development.
“After collapsing during the match, team medics tried to stabilize him but
unfortunately he could not make it to the hospital for further attention. It is
a sad day for the game, our club, our country, Burundi and globally,” said a
distraught Rodrigues.
When the news broke to the rest of the players on the hour mark of action with
Green Mamba leading 3-0 in their title chase, Faty’s emotionally drained team
mates crumbled to the turf forcing off play.
It is not the first time that Faty, who joined Malanti Chiefs in January,
collapsed during a match due to what is preliminary suspected to be cardiac
related as in 2015 had to hospitalized during a friendly match between his
former club, Bidvest Wits and Supersport United.
Born on the 18th of September 1990 in Bujumbura, at the age of 11, the
midfielder was scouted by AS Inter Star. Papy went through the ranks of the
team and in 2007 signed a professional contract with the club. After the season
2007/2008 the player joined the Turkish side Trabzonspor.
After a season Papy was given on a loan to the Dutch team MVV where in
the season 2011/2012 he made 17 outings and scored 4 times.
In 2012 the player was signed by Bidvest Wits spending five seasons before
joining Royal Eagles then under now Eswatini head coach Kostadin Papic.
Papy was capped for the national team of Burundi for the first time in 2008
featuring in last month’s 1-1 draw against Gabon at Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium to finish second behind Mali on the
log standings.
Upon return Eswatini, Faty hosted a talent scouting soccer tournament at
Nkomazi on the outskirts of Piggs Peak.
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) has kicked off a European promotional tour themed “Morocco, Land of Football” to boost the country’s visibility ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The roadshow, which began on June 16 and runs through June 23, is making stops in five key European cities: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.
According to a press release, the initiative is designed to enhance Morocco’s international profile through a blend of sports and cultural promotion, as the kingdom prepares to host the continent’s premier football tournament.
“Morocco is preparing to welcome Africa. Through this roadshow, we aim to tell a collective story of a country oriented towards the future, proud of its roots, and passionate about football,” said Achraf Fayda, Director General of ONMT.
The roadshow stems from a strategic partnership signed in April between the ONMT and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), with the shared goal of positioning Morocco as a leading global destination for both football and tourism by 2030.
At each stop, the tour is expected to engage over 100 travel agents, tour operators, media professionals, and African tourism experts. Participants are treated to immersive, multisensory experiences that highlight Morocco’s tourism offerings, while also facilitating networking with sports personalities.
The campaign targets travel professionals, sports industry stakeholders, and digital content creators as part of ONMT’s broader strategy to leverage AFCON 2025 for tourism development and international branding.
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The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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