AFCON

Algeria’s unbeaten run ends, but Remo Stars still unbeaten in Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

January 17, 2022

On the night when tears were flowing from the eyes of players and followers of African champions, Algeria whose nearly two-year unbeaten streak was terminated by unlikely heroes, Equatorial Guinea, returnee to the Nigerian elite football, Remo Stars continued their strong hold of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

They opened the season and have led ever since. On Sunday, they picked another full point on the road as they beat Wikki Tourists 2-1 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi in one of matchday 6 fixtures.

Head Coach of Remo Stars, Gbenga Ogunbote bestowed faith in his starting eleven that got a 1-0 victory over Plateau United in the emerging football town of Ikenne last weekend.

The coach made only two changes to his bench as Shuji Oshobe and Sunday Williams replaced Kamal Sikiru and Tolulope Ojo.

Wikki Tourists started the game like a house on fire after they had clear chance to put themselves in front, Kayode Bankole denied them their early attempts on goal.

The first opportunity for the visitors surfaced and Dayo Ojo converted the opportunity so well after he met up with a beautiful pass from Andy Okpe, he dribbled his marker to give the Sky Blue Stars the lead at first attempt.

Minutes later, the Giant Elephants got an opportunity to level up after the referee gave them a freekick in a promising area but the kick went into the skies.

The host continued to mount pressure on the visitors and it nearly favoured them in the 32^nd minute after Idris Moffid’s attempt hit the woodwork.

Former Sunshine Stars forward, Fuad Ekelejuoti got his own chance to put his team at per with the visitors but Kayode Bankole stood tall to deny.

In the 58th minute, the hosts felt they had equalised but Stanley Okorom’s brilliant clearance tackle denied Abdulrasaq Aliyu from putting the ball at the back of the net.

Abdullahi Oyedele doubled the lead for the Sky Blue Stars in the 62nd minute after Andy Okpe found his way upfront from the midfield to give him an assist.

The host began the mission to reduce the deficit with numerous chances but Kayode Bankole did a lot of justice to those attempts.

Salisu Adama reduced the deficit for his side from Mustapha Abdullahi’s corner, it deflected towards him, and he calmly slotted in for the Giant Elephants.

In the closing minutes of the game, the referee gifted the host a spot kick and Salam Ibrahim took the kick and it hit the woodwork before the ball rolled out.

The pressure continued from the host and the Sky Blue Stars did well to deny their attempts before the referee blew the final whistle.

With the win for the visitors, the Sky Blue Stars maintain their position on the top of the league, their second away victory this season, and they remain unbeaten in the NPFL alongside Rivers United.

Next for the Sky Blue Stars is a home against Abia Warriors at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.

NPFL STATS AFTER MATCHDAY 6

Top Team: Remo Stars: 14 points, +9goals, -2 goals
Total No. of Matches Played: 59
Total No. of Matches won: 43
Total No. of Matches won Away: 5
Total No. of Matches Drawn: 16
Total No. of Goals Scored: 114
Average Goals/match: 1.9
Total No. of Home Goals: 88
Total No. of Away Goals: 26
Total No. of Own Goals: 3
Total No. of Penalties Awarded: 13
Total No. of Penalties Scored: 11
Total No. of Penalties missed: 2
Highest Goals Scorer: Rafiu Ishaq (Rivers United) 5 goals
Total No. of Yellow Cards: 217
Total No. of Red Cards: 7
Most Goals Conceded: Dakkada , 11 goals

AFCON

Royal Air Maroc named official partner for AFCON 2025, WAFCON 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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AFCON

Morocco speeds up stadium upgrades ahead of AFCON 2025

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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