AFCON
CAF VP, FOUZI LEKJAA OPENS CAN OF WORMS IN CAF
The president of Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, who is also a vice president in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has pointed fingers at the “deep-seated” corruption and “other dysfunction” at the heart of the confederation.
In a report published in Morocco World News, Lekjaa reportedly made the comments during an FRMF meeting in Skhirat, a coastal town between Rabat and Casablanca.
According to the report, Lekjaa vented his frustration at CAF for the “unfair” and “biased” treatment Moroccan clubs have faced while participating in African tournaments.
Amid the still unsettled Wydad-ES Tunis scandal, the Moroccan official’s statements reflect the feeling, widely reported in news outlets and expressed among some CAF officials in the past months, that Moroccan club Wydad was victim of a deliberate VAR-rigging by its Tunisian opponent.
The VAR system at the Rades stadium in Tunis was defective on match day during the second leg between Morocco’s Wydad and Tunisia’s Esperance.
The game was later stopped halfway through when Wydad players requested that the referee use VAR to confirm an equalizing goal. Only after the match did Wydad learn that the stadium’s VAR system had broken down shortly before the game.
Without giving names, Lekjaa reiterated his earlier comments at the latest CAF executive meeting on reforms, saying that a “rich man” who has made his fortune in the energy sector is currently pulling the CAF strings from behind the curtains.
This, he contended, is reason enough to argue that almost all of CAF’s most critical decisions in the past years have been made in a way that favours the unnamed energy mogul’s agenda. “Some teams have been benefitting” from CAF’s currently rotten management system, he claimed.
Other than the “biased” ruling, which he said helped deny Wydad its “legitimate right” to be the winner over ES Tunis, Lekjaa spoke of the age problem in junior African football competitions for national teams. He complained about many countries getting way with age falsification, when the ages of much older players are reduced to make them eligible for their countries’ U17 or U23 teams.
A recent age falsification occurred at the latest U17 CAN in Morocco’s group, where both Guinea and Cameroon were suspected of using ineligible players.
Cameroon succeeded in brushing off the accusations, showing birth certificates and other documents that helped settle the debate. But the proof against Guinea—including former passports of the two players whose age was disputed—was damming. Guinea’s U17 squad was later revealed to have indeed used two players in their twenties.
But only after the tournament, whose final Guinea played and lost against Cameroon, was the West African country punished.
Lekjaa also said that Morocco has provided enough proof that the U23 teams of DR Congo and Mali, both of which recently defeated and eliminated Morocco’s U23 squad from continental tournaments, used “false ages” for some of their players. But, Lekjaa blustered, CAF never punished them.
The Moroccan’s indignation comes as CAF undergoes reformist winds at FIFA’s request.
Recently, FIFA appointed its secretary general, the Senegalese Fatma Samoura, as a special supervisor for CAF. The Senegalese comes with a special mandate to cleanse the African footballing body of the pile of scandals its senior officials, including its president, have been associated with in the past months.
Lekjaa, who was recently appointed to be part of the special committee that will be working with Samoura to root out CAF’s deep-seated corruption, finally called for “profound reforms” of CAF management.
He suggested that, despite a large pool of talented players, corruption and favoritism in the highest echelons of African football are some essential reasons why the continent is still battling to reach the level of other confederations.
By Kunle Solaja
The Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 has expanded access to ticket sales, allowing nationals from Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa, and Zambia to apply using a new manual registration system.
Beginning today, October 28, 2025, at 12:30 PM (CET), fans from these countries — whose citizens do not possess biometric passports — can now use the manual data entry option on the official YALLA app, the gateway for all AFCON ticketing and travel formalities.
“This measure reflects our commitment to inclusivity and to making the AFCON experience accessible to all African fans,” the Organizing Committee stated.
The YALLA app now allows applicants to manually enter their data to obtain both a Fan ID and an Electronic Visa (eVisa/AEVM) — both mandatory before purchasing match tickets.
Each Fan ID entitles its holder to purchase one ticket per match, and no tickets will be sold without prior Fan ID registration.
Tickets are available exclusively through CAF Official Ticketing Website: https://tickets.cafonline.com and YALLA Fan ID Portal: https://www.yallamorocco.ma
“Any other website or app claiming to sell tickets is fraudulent and must not be used,” the committee warned. To support fans navigating the registration and ticketing process, the organizers have launched a dedicated 24-hour customer service line.
The hotline is +212 5 30 30 20 30. . It operates in three languages (Arabic, English, and French) and is operated by a dedicated team working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer inquiries and assist users.
A trained support team is on standby to assist users with Fan ID registration, visa processing, and ticket inquiries.
The Organizing Committee expressed gratitude to fans, delegations, and media partners for their enthusiasm and cooperation ahead of what is expected to be one of the most technologically advanced editions of the tournament.
“We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all supporters attending AFCON Morocco 2025,” the statement concluded.
The ticketing update marks another milestone in Morocco’s preparation for hosting Africa’s biggest football event, continuing its reputation for organizational excellence and fan-friendly innovation.
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Egyptian national team will face Nigeria on 14 December at Cairo Stadium as part of their preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA)said on Sunday.
The friendly was arranged at the request of Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, who wanted to test his side against one of the continent’s heavyweights ahead of the tournament.
The Pharaohs will compete in the UAE International Tournament, where they will meet Uzbekistan on 14 November.
The competition also features Cape Verde and Iran, who will play a day earlier.
The winners of both matches will face each other in the final on 18 November.
Senegal were initially scheduled to take part in the tournament but withdrew, paving the way for Cape Verde to join.
Egypt have been drawn in Group B for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe
-Ahram
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Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says Nigeria will head to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations determined to go one step further after the heartbreak of losing the last final to Côte d’Ivoire.
In an exclusive chat with CAFOnline.com, the Al-Kholood defender said the experience of falling short in Abidjan has made the team tougher and more united.
“Last AFCON left a lasting impression on all of us,” Troost-Ekong said. “This group is excited to have another chance to try and win the trophy. We learned so much from that final—this time we’ll be calmer and play our football better.”
The Saudi Arabia-based centre-back downplayed talk of Nigeria being clear favourites, noting that hosts Morocco, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal are equally strong contenders.
“There’s no such thing as a clear favourite at AFCON,” he warned. “You can’t win a tournament with expectations. AFCON is difficult and full of surprises.”
Troost-Ekong, who has appeared in multiple AFCON campaigns, said the key to winning lies in “heart, togetherness and consistency.”
“Momentum has to grow through the tournament. Don’t panic when things go wrong, and don’t get carried away when they go right,” he added.
On Nigeria’s group opponents—Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania—the skipper admitted the road to the knockout stages won’t be easy.
“Tunisia knocked us out in 2021. Uganda and Tanzania are improving fast. There’s no easy game at AFCON,” he said.
Troost-Ekong also saluted Nigerian fans for their support and promised the team would give everything to bring home the title.
“When all of Nigeria stands together, that’s our power,” he declared. “Hopefully, the headline this time will read: Nigeria crowns the special generation with an AFCON title.”
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