AFCON
Points to remember at AFCON 2021 Group Stage
The Group Stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 was concluded on Thursday (20 January 2022). Sixteen teams continue their road towards the Holy Grail of African football, that will be decided on 6 February 2022.
Before the knockout stage kicks off on Sunday (22 January 2022), here are the Group stage facts from Opta:
- The 68 goals scored so far at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is identical to the group stage tally in the 2019 edition. In fact, three of the last four AFCON group stages have averaged fewer than two goals per game (2.2 in 2017 the exception), whereas between 1996 and 2013 only one of 10 tournaments averaged fewer than two goals per game during the group stages (1.5 in 2002).
- Algeria became the first reigning champions to fail to qualify from the group stage at the Africa Cup of Nations since Côte d’Ivoire in 2017. While they are the first reigning champions to lose two group stage games in a single AFCON tournament since Cameroon in 1990.
- Hosts Cameroon topped their group with seven points, continuing the trend of teams hosting the competition getting to the knock-out rounds at the Africa Cup of Nations in all but one edition since the turn of the century (13 out of 14 nations, including shared-hosts), with the only exception being Gabon in 2017.
- Four-time Africa Cup of Nations winners Ghana failed to win at least one match in a single AFCON edition, with this their 23rd appearance in the competition. The Black Stars failed to progress to the knock-out stages for the first time since 2006.
- Gambia and Comoros have both made it through to the knock-out rounds in their very first appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations – it’s the first time two debutants have made it out of their group in an AFCON edition since Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal finished joint-third in 1965 (the first AFCON with a group stage).
- Algeria scored just once from 46 attempts at goal – the lowest shot conversion rate for a team that attempted at least 40 shots since Burkino Faso in 2015 – 2.1% (1/47).
- Senegal finished top of Group B with 5 points (W1 D2), becoming the first side since Zambia in 1994 to win their group while scoring only once.
- Cameroon have scored the most goals at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations so far (7), while the last teams to score more in the group stages of the competition did so back in 2008 (Cameroon – 10, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire – 8).
- There have been 10 goals scored from the penalty spot at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations so far, already more than in any of the previous three tournaments and just one short of the total in 2008 (11). Indeed, it’s the most ever recorded in the group stages of a single AFCON edition.
- There have been 68 goals scored from 816 attempts in the 36 matches at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations so far, an average of 22.7 shots per game with a shot conversion rate of 8.3% – both the lowest on record since Opta began collecting this data in 2010.
- Vincent Aboubakar is currently the top scorer at this year’s AFCON with five goals – no Cameroon player has ever scored more in a single edition of AFCON, while only one player has ever scored more group stage goals at a single edition – Côte d’Ivoire’s Laurent Pokou (7) in 1970.
- Only Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar (15) had more attempts at goal than Algeria’s Youcef Balaili (12), while the last player to have more shots without scoring in a single AFCON group stage was Burkina Faso’s Alain Sibiri Traore in 2015 (14). In fact, the Algerian also created the most chances in the 2021 AFCON group stages (12), and the most without registering a single assist since Zambia’s Rainford Kalaba in 2013 (17).
- Ibrahima Koné became the first player to score three goals for Mali in a single Africa Cup of Nations tournament since Seydou Keita in 2013, with all three from the penalty spot, becoming the first player to net three penalties in a single AFCON edition since Ghana’s Mubarak Wubaso in 2013 (3)
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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