Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala has been appointed to officiate the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on Saturday.

Ndala was named by the CAF Referees Committee to take charge of the tournament’s curtain-raiser between the hosts Morocco national football team, and the Comoros national football team. The match is scheduled for Sunday, December 21, with kick-off set for 8:00 p.m. local time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The experienced Congolese official, who has handled several high-profile continental fixtures in recent years, will be supported by an international refereeing team selected by CAF for the opening game of the tournament.

CAF also confirmed that video assistant refereeing duties for the match will be handled by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida, one of Africa’s most respected VAR officials.

The Morocco–Comoros encounter will officially signal the start of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, with the hosts aiming to begin their campaign strongly in front of a packed home crowd in Rabat.

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The Africa Cup of Nations will be played every four years from 2028, following a landmark decision announced on Saturday by Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Motsepe announced during a press conference at the Moulay Abdellah Complex, describing the move as a strategic step aimed at better aligning African football with FIFA’s international calendar and competition windows.

Under the new arrangement, the tournament will shift from its traditional biennial format to a four-year cycle beginning with the 2028 edition.

With this, the Africa Cup of Nations will now be played in even-numbered years and will also be held in the same year as the Olympic Games.

The Africa Cup of Nations began as an odd-numbered year competition in 1957 and was held for the first time in an even-numbered year in 1962 before taking a definitive even-numbered year format at the 1968 edition.

That ran till the 2012 edition, when an odd-numbered year was adopted from 2013. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will still go ahead as planned. That tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and will be staged in the summer, as previously announced.

Motsepe explained that the revised cycle is designed to ease pressure on players, clubs and national teams, while allowing CAF competitions to fit more smoothly into the global football ecosystem.

In addition to the calendar reform, the CAF president revealed a substantial increase in prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The total prize money for the tournament has been raised from USD 7 million to USD 10 million, with the increase taking effect immediately, starting from the edition that kicks off this Sunday in Morocco.

CAF’s major club competitions will also benefit from enhanced financial rewards. Motsepe confirmed that prize money for both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup will be increased, although specific figures will be announced after the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.

The announcements mark one of the most significant structural and financial shifts in African football in recent decades, as CAF seeks to modernise its competitions and strengthen its global standing.

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As Morocco prepares to welcome Africa for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the national conversation stretches beyond the familiar hunger for continental glory. At its heart lies a deeper story — the rise of a generation forged by a single institution, the Mohammed VI Football Academy, now central to the country’s football identity.

Five players in head coach Walid Regragui’s AFCON squad — Nayef Aguerd, Azzedine Ounahi, Oussama Targhalline, Youssef En-Nesyri and Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal — are products of the same academy. Their roles differ across defence, midfield and attack, but their shared schooling reflects a unified philosophy that has reshaped Moroccan football from the ground up.

Atlas Lion Nayef Aguerd named in UEFA’s Conference League best XI

This emergence is no coincidence. It is the culmination of a long-term, state-backed project launched nearly two decades ago and now regarded as one of Africa’s most influential talent-development models.

A Vision Turned Into a System

According to recruitment director Tarik El Khazri, the academy was born not of chance but of clear national intent.

“The Mohammed VI Academy was the result of a vision and a royal initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” he explains.

That royal vision — led by King Mohammed VI — sought to modernise Morocco’s entire football ecosystem, replacing sporadic talent discovery with a consistent pipeline of elite players.

The residence for the Atlas Lions at the Mohammed VI Football Academy.

French-Moroccan coach Nasser Larguet, appointed the academy’s first technical director, recalls starting from scratch.

“I arrived with a blank sheet of paper on a project driven by His Majesty,” he says.

Between 2007 and 2010, everything had to be built — infrastructure, curriculum, education system and nationwide scouting. Larguet personally observed more than 15,000 children. Only 37 were selected.

The approach was uncompromising, but the impact was swift.

“By the second year, academy players were already joining the under-17, under-20 and Olympic teams,” Larguet recalls.

The pipeline had taken shape.

Five Players, One Football Identity

Today, the academy’s imprint is unmistakable across the national team. El Khazri calls it a recognisable identity — a genuine “AMF brand”.

That brand blends technical assurance with tactical intelligence and a collective mindset. Academy graduates are comfortable under pressure, decisive in tight spaces, and grounded in humility.

Nayef Aguerd brings calm authority to central defence. Azzedine Ounahi dictates rhythm and tempo in midfield. Targhalline adds balance and structure. En-Nesyri, once raw and explosive, has evolved into a striker built for decisive moments. Aït Boudlal symbolises continuity — the next wave shaped by the same standards.

Different journeys, one foundation.

Tested Where It Matters Most

For El Khazri, the academy’s success is not defined by contracts or transfers.

“A model matures when it produces starters and leaders in high-pressure environments,” he says.

The real measure is longevity — players sustaining elite performance for club and country over time. The academy always targeted careers spanning a decade or more.

The results are compelling. Of the 57 players developed during Larguet’s tenure, 47 became professionals, 15 moved to Europe, and several featured in World Cups, Olympic Games and multiple AFCON tournaments.

What began as an experiment is now a structured pathway studied by federations across the continent.

Education Before Everything

Perhaps the academy’s most defining pillar is education.

“When we spoke about education, we said everything,” Larguet insists.

Discipline, routine, collective responsibility and academic learning are embedded alongside football training. Children enter as young as nine, with full awareness that most will not become professionals.

“A career ends at 30 or 35. You must anticipate what comes after,” Larguet says.

That grounding has produced players equipped to absorb pressure, overcome setbacks and shoulder national expectations — qualities now visible on the international stage.

AFCON at Home, A Continental Statement

Hosting AFCON 2025 gives Morocco the chance to showcase more than footballing ambition. It offers proof that African excellence can be developed sustainably on African soil.

“Africa is capable of producing excellence for Africa,” El Khazri says.

The Mohammed VI Academy now stands as a continental reference point, marrying world-class infrastructure with a methodology rooted in Moroccan culture.

“We can succeed here at home,” Larguet adds, stressing that early migration to Europe is no longer the only pathway to fulfilment.

Pride, Purpose and an Unfinished Story

For Aguerd, playing AFCON on home soil carries a significance that transcends the pitch.

“It is a tremendous honour,” he says. “All thanks go to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his global vision of Moroccan and African football.”

Representing the academy at AFCON, he adds, is both privilege and responsibility — defending not just a jersey, but values.

As the tournament approaches, the question lingers: will this be remembered as a title-winning campaign, or as the moment a footballing philosophy fully came of age?

El Khazri offers a simple answer.

“Both — a trophy, and a defining chapter in the history of the Mohammed VI Academy.”

For Morocco, the ultimate victory may lie not only in lifting the AFCON trophy, but in confirming that a patient, purposeful project has delivered a new blueprint for African football success.

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