AFCON
Five major misses Nigeria record at the Abuja Stadium
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
On account of its official commissioning on 8 April 2003, the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja is 19 years old this Friday. Built as the first of its kind in Nigeria, it is all-covered and with individual seats.
It has however have a colouration of certain jinx surrounding it. Only twice had champions emerged for Nigeria at the beautiful arena which stands as the easily the first major edifice in the city of Abuja after the crossing of the city gate from the airport.
The only occasion international champions were crowned at the arena were when the Super Falcons won the gold medal match of the 2003 African games, and Enyimba emerging victorious after penalty shoot-out in the 2004 CAF Chmapions League.
Outside those two instances it has been catalogue of major misses by Nigerian teams. Sports Village Square recalls five instances:
Football final of 2003 All Africa Games
Despite being rated as an overwhelming favourites to pick the gold medal of the football event event of the All Africa Games as it had happened on home soil 30 years earlier in Lagos, the Nigerian team surprisingly crumbled 2-0 against Cameroon at the Abuja stadium on 16 October 2003.
The gold medal has since been elusive to Nigeria which again lost at the final match of 2019 games in Rabat, Morocco.
World Cup dreams evaporate in Abuja, despite massive win
On 8 October 2005, Nigeria beat Zimbabwe 5-1 in their last match for the 2006 World Cup.
But the massive win proved a pyrrhic victory as result elsewhere meant Nigeria had missed the flight to Germany 2006.
Angola beat Rwanda 1-0 away from home to peak the ticket.
Swiss sensation as Golden Eaglets lose U17 World Cup
With elimination of big teams such as Germany and Brazil, the Nigerian Golden Eaglets, then three time world champions were overwhelming favourites to beat unrated Switzerland at the final match of the 2009 U17 World Cup.
Result did not match expectation in the 16 November 2009 match in Abuja. Switzerland won 1-0 to claim their only title till date.
At the time Nigeria lost in Abuja to Switzerland, the thoughts were that host nations of the tournaments were jinxed as no past host nation had won.
But such claims have since been dismissed as Mexico as the hosts of the next edition in 2011 won. So also, Brazil as 2019 hosts also won.
Last minute goal by Guinea denies Nigeria AFCON qualification
On the sixth anniversary of missing the qualification for the Germany 2006 World Cup, another qualification miss was recorded in Abuja by Nigeria on 8 October 2011.
Ignorantly thinking they need a two-goal margin to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and while leading 2-1 against Guinea, the Super Eagles went for all-outfield player offensive in the closing minute of the added time.
Alas! The Guineans in a counter attack slotted in an equaliser that ended the international goalkeeping career of Dele Aiyenugba. But for the equaliser, Nigeria could have still qualified as one of the lucky second-placed teams.
The equaliser gave an already eliminated Sudan an entrance through the back doors.
Troubled Black Stars get succour in Abuja
When the Black Stars blacked out Nigeria’s qualifying hopes for the 2022 World Cup in Abuja, it came on the sixth anniversary of Nigeria missing out in the qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations .
Egypt had on 29 March 2016 beating Nigeria 1-0 to eliminate the country from the continental tournament.
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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