AFCON
BANANA SKIN AWAIT MOROCCO’S ATLAS LIONS IN CLASH WITH NAMIBIA’S BRAVE WARRIORS
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco, one of the power houses of African football take on lowly rated Namibia as the Africa Cup of Nations gets to Match Day Three. In the preceding matches, lowly rated teams have moved close to causing upsets as happened in the Egypt versus Zimbabwe, Guinea versus Madagascar and Nigeria versus Burundi.
In fact, Uganda’s 2-0 defeat of DR Congo was an upset as it was Uganda’s first win of an Africa Cup of Nations match since their 2-1 win over Nigeria in 1978.
Namibia could therefore draw inspirations from the performances of Zimbabwe, Burundi, Uganda and Madagascar in their match with Morocco. In their only Africa Cup of nations clash, Morocco beat Namibia 5-1 at Ghana 2008.
The North Africans, though overwhelming favourites, have not been impressive in their build-up to the championship.
Their coach, Herve Renard is not oblivious of possible upset as Group D campaign begins at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo.
“The first match is always difficult because all the teams start with a great motivation. We must expect a tough meeting and it is up to us to make it easy”, he said.
He is one of the most experienced coaches on African football having won titles with Zambia in 2012 and Cote d’Ivoire in 2015.
If he achieves success with Morocco this year, he becomes the first coach to score a hat-trick with three different teams.
“It is not the time we prefer, these conditions are not easy but we must manage these parameters by avoiding technical errors and making the difference as quickly as possible”, Renard remarked.
His counterpart Ricardo Mannetti expects a hard mission as his team returns to the continent’s flagship competition after 11 years of absence.
“It will be a difficult meeting, we do not take into account their defeats in friendly matches, because we will play against one of the tournament favorites”, he admitted.
Despite this, Namibia, participating in its third AFCON, hopes to create the surprise. “We will do our best to get the 3 points, because we are here to give the best and to make our fans happy”, added the Brave Warriors coach.
AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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