AFCON
‘WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION’ ASSEMBLED FOR BENIN INVASION
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
With the arrival on Tuesday of Victor Osimhen, who with four goals is the current lead scorer in the qualifying series for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations, the camp of the Super Eagles is full to the brim.
Earlier, Leicester’s explosive striker, Kelechi Iheanacho who in recent two matches for his Premier League club has scored five goals as well as the ever bubbling Samuel Chukwueze of FC Villarreal hitting the camp, all the 23 players listed by Gernot Rohr have hit the camp.
Their presence was enough excitement for Rohr who looked very relaxed Tuesday morning as he entertained questions from the media.
He has assembled what could be termed ‘weapons of mass destruction’ as the Super Eagles prepare for Friday morning sea cruise to Cotonou on their mission to conquer Benin Republic in the ‘Battle of Porto Novo’ on Saturday.
Speaking with great confidence, Rohr remarked: “I’m relieved that all my players are in camp today (Tuesday) and what is left now is to commence full preparation for the two matches as we hoped to get the maximum results and at the same time we won’t underrate our opponents.”
Nigeria, with eight points sit atop the Group L, but are closely followed by their western neighbours, Benin who have seven points.
A win by either side on Saturday secures qualification for the winner thus adding flavour to what is potentially an explosive encounter.
The match holds at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo. But both sides could secure qualification even before firing any shot if the other match in the group – a Sierra Leone versus Lesotho match – which holds earlier than the Porto Novo battle fails to produce a winner.
At the moment, Sierra Leone are with three points are condemned to win against bottom-placed Lesotho if they are to have any arithmetical chance of qualifying.
Thus, failure of Sierra Leone to pick all the three points means Nigeria and Benin will qualify even before their match slated for the same day.
That notwithstanding, Rohr said his players are not hoping for the lottery that the Sierra Leone versus Lesotho encounter potentially offers.
He remarked that his players, with their potent offensive, will approach Saturday’s match with the intention of picking all three points, no matter the result of the group’s other tie in Maseru.
“We are keen to restore a winning mentality to the group ahead of very crucial matches that we have ahead.
“It is important that we earn victories in the upcoming matches so that we get into our paces for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. There will be tough games to come and we need to be rearing to go.
“The players are ready to explode and we want to win the confidence of teaming Nigerian fans back considering the fact that we missed the chance of qualification into the final tournament with the 4-4 draw at home to Sierra Leone.
“We are ready to make up and banish the disappointment of the last matches and the best way is for every one of us to push further up in the two coming matches but for now, it’s the away match that is uppermost and we want all Nigerians to come behind us.”
The players too are getting psychologically attuned. For instance, Scottish league winner with Glasgow Rangers, Joe Aribo is keen at playing before Lagos audience.
It has been 20 years since the Super Eagles played any match of significance in Lagos. It therefore means that all the players will be having a brand new experience playing before the Lagos crowd.
Aribo said that the team is well motivated to win the matches as he is particularly eager to play in Lagos following the reports that the fans in the city have a unique way with its partisanship.
“Playing in Lagos, we were told is a special moment considering the fact that it was traditional home of the national team and if I’m selected it will be a special moment for me and most of my teammates.”
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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AFCON
‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.
The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.
Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.
Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.
Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.
They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.
The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.
“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.
The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.
Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.
The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.
ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
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