AFCON
Yobo teams with Hadji, Cisse and Aurier as Morocco 2025 Draw Assistants
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
One of Nigeria’s most influential players at the Africa Cup of Nations, Joseph Yobo, will be one of the quartet of former footballers who will act as assistants when the final draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is held this Monday in Rabat.
Yobo, was the first Nigerian to gross 100 international playing appearances.
He played every match and every minute of Nigeria’s successive 22 matches of the Africa Cup of Nations from 2002 to 2008.
No other Nigerian player ever achieved that feat. He was only substituted in the 23rd successive match when he got injured in Nigeria’s second group match against Benin Republic at Angola 2010.
He played his last match for Nigeria on the 20th anniversary of the last match played by Late Stephen Keshi. Both played their last matches on 30 June 2014 and 1994 respectively.
Yobo’s last match was his 10th World Cup match, the duel with France.
Thus, he became Nigeria’s most-capped World Cup player, surpassing the nine appearances by Austin Jay Jay Okocha in 1994,1998 and 2002.
Before then, only three other Nigerians had featured in three World Cup editions – Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Vincent Enyeama.
According to a media release by CAF, Yobo, Hadji, Cisse and Aurier will not only pull the balls from the pots but also be on hand to offer their insights into the groups for the tournament.
They are some of the biggest names in the African game and all have a rich history with the AFCON themselves.
MUSTAPHA HADJI (MOROCCO)
Hadji is renowned as one of Morocco’s greatest ever players and was named African Footballer of the Year in 1998. He won 63 caps for his country and scored 12 goals, playing at two FIFA World Cup tournaments.
He netted the winner for Morocco against Egypt at the 1998 TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, the only team to inflict a defeat on the eventual champions. He also played at the 2000 finals.
He had a successful club career in France, Portugal, Spain and England, and in 2011 received the CAF Legends award for his services to the game.
SERGE AURIER (COTE D’IVOIRE)
Aurier is a two-time winner of the AFCON having lifted the trophy in the 2015 and 2023 editions.
The right-back has been a stalwart of the national team since his debut in 2013 and has 93 caps, scoring four goals.
His club career has taken him to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, and he is a two-time winner of the French Ligue 1.
He had the honour of being named in the CAF Team of the Year on four occasions between 2015 and 2019, showing his incredible consistency for club and country in that period.
ALIOU CISSE (SENEGAL)
Cisse was captain of Senegal when they excelled at the 2002 FIFA World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals against the odds, and while he failed to lift the AFCON as a player, he later did so as coach of the national team.
He won 35 caps as an industrious midfielder during a period when he played for Paris Saint-Germain in France, leading Senegal to the 2002 AFCON final where they lost out to Cameroon.
He became head coach of the national team in 2015 and would lead them through a golden period that included lifting the AFCON in 2021, and FIFA World Cup qualifications in 2018 and 2022.
He was named CAF Coach of the Year at the CAF Awards in 2022.
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AFCON
Nigerians, other nationals can apply, as CAF and Morocco Launch Volunteer Programme for AFCON 2025
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Morocco have launched the official Volunteer Programme for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, billed to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
According to CAF, more than 4,000 volunteers will be recruited to play a central role in ensuring the success of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament, which will be staged across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco.
Applications are now open at volunteers.cafonline.com and will close on 8 October 2025. The opportunity is open to anyone above the age of 18.
Volunteers will be deployed across multiple functional areas, including media operations, spectator services, accreditation, hospitality, and fan engagement. Selected individuals will receive professional training ahead of the competition and work behind the scenes to deliver a memorable AFCON.
CAF stated that the programme is designed not only to support tournament operations but also to create an alumni network of skilled Africans who can contribute to future sporting events across the continent. Successful applicants will benefit from:
- Training and skill development.
- Official uniforms and certificates of participation.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals.
- The chance to contribute to Africa’s football legacy.
Volunteer registration opened on 17 September 2025. Selection and training will take place in October and November, with operations commencing in mid-December through to the tournament’s conclusion on 18 January 2026.
CAF described the initiative as an “exciting opportunity” for Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s flagship sporting event, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to Morocco.
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AFCON
CAF Security Chief, Nigeria’s Emeruwa, Leads Inspection of Tangier Stadium Ahead of Major Tournaments
Nigeria’s Dr. Christian Emeruwa, President of the Security and Safety Division of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), on Thursday, September 18, led an inspection visit to the Grand Stade de Tangier as preparations intensify for upcoming continental and global football events.
Emeruwa, who heads CAF’s continental security architecture, was joined by CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, senior Moroccan officials, and executives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The delegation also included managers of operational companies at the Grand Stade and SONARGES executives.
According to Le 360, the Nigerian official expressed satisfaction with the stadium’s facilities after touring key operational areas, including the main control room with its giant surveillance screen, as well as spectator, player, and VIP access zones.
The inspection was bolstered by the presence of Morocco’s top security and administrative officers—the regional commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, officials of the Auxiliary Forces and Civil Protection, the Wali of Security, the governor in charge of Internal Affairs, and representatives of the National Agency for Public Equipment (ANEP).
A technical meeting followed the tour, where engineers presented recent safety and security upgrades. Among the highlights was the planned installation of a FIFA-standard tarpaulin roof to enhance the venue’s compliance with global hosting requirements.
For Nigeria, the spotlight on Dr. Emeruwa underscores the country’s growing influence in African football administration, particularly in the critical areas of safety and security management for CAF competitions.
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Morocco has received 723 high-end buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21.
Yutong said on social media that the fleet “has officially rolled off the production line” and will provide “comprehensive transport services and reliable operational support” during the tournament.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday at the company’s facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, attended by Moroccan representatives and Yutong executives.
The buses were designed to cope with Morocco’s terrain and climate, including steep slopes, heat and sandstorms. They feature an independent front axle suspension to navigate narrow city streets and Yutong’s in-house “Blue Core System” for fuel efficiency.
The delivery is the largest single order of Chinese buses in Africa. Yutong will station more than 100 technicians in Morocco to provide training, maintenance and round-the-clock support during AFCON.
The deal is part of Morocco’s broader transport strategy, which includes plans to purchase 7,000 new buses by 2030—half of them electric—as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
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