AFCON
PICTURE OF TEAMS ON AFCON QUALIFYING ON LAST MATCH DAY
With Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 Qualifiers reaching its final Match Day, here’s how it stands in the qualifiers 12 groups.
Group A
- Both Mali and Guinea qualified to Cameroon 2021.
- Chad is disqualified while Namibia is eliminated.
Group B
Burkina Faso guaranteed their spot in next year’s finals. South Sudan is eliminated.
Uganda (8 points) and Malawi (7) battle for the second group slot. They face each other in Blantyre, where draw is enough for Uganda to qualify while Malawi needs a win.
Group C
Ghana qualified for the finals, while Sao Tome and Principe are eliminated.
South Africa (10 points) and Sudan (9) are still in the race. They lock horns in Omdurman, where Sudan must win to qualify while South Africa needs a point.
Group D
Gabon and Gambia qualified. DR Congo and Angola are eliminated.
Group E
Morocco qualified to the finals.
Mauritania (6 points), Burundi (5) and Central African Republic (4) battle for the second ticket.
Central African Republic hosts Mauritania in Bangui while Burundi plays Morocco in Rabat.
– Mauritania qualifies if they win, or draw coupled with Burundi failing to win.
– Burundi qualifies only if they win coupled with Mauritania failing to win.
– Central African Republic qualifies only if they win, coupled with Burundi failing to win.
Group F
Cameroon qualified automatically as hosts.
Cape Verde (7 points), Rwanda (5) and Mozambique (4) are in the race for the second ticket.
Mozambique hosts Cape Verde in Maputo while Cameroon and Rwanda face in Douala.
– Cape Verde qualifies if they win, or draw with Rwanda failing to win.
– Rwanda qualifies only if they win coupled with Cape Verde losing.
– In case of Rwanda winning and Cape Verde having a draw, goal difference will determine who qualifies, as the head-to-head between them is 0-0 in aggregate. Goal difference is currently Cape Verde (+2) and Rwanda (-2).
– Mozambique only qualifies if they win coupled with Rwanda failing to win.
Group G
Egypt and Comoros qualified. Kenya and Togo are eliminated.
Group H
Algeria and Zimbabwe qualified. Botswana and Zambia are eliminated.
Group I
Senegal qualified, Eswatini are eliminated.
Congo (8 points) and Guinea-Bissau (6) battle for the second ticket. They lock horns in Bissau where the hosts need a win to qualify, while just a draw is enough for Congo to go through.
Group J
Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea qualified. Tanzania and Libya are eliminated.
Group K
Cote d’Ivoire qualified; Niger is eliminated.
Ethiopia (9 points) and Madagascar (7) battle for second spot. Madagascar entertains Niger while Ethiopia is away to Cote d’Ivoire.
A draw is enough for Ethiopia to qualify as they enjoy a better head-to-head result with Madagascar, who will only qualify if they win and Ethiopia lose.
Group L
Nigeria qualified, Lesotho is eliminated.
Benin (7 points) and Sierra Leone (4) are still in the race. They lock horns in Freetown.
A draw sees Benin through, while Sierra Leone needs a win to qualify
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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