With just days to go before the curtain rises on the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, two of the continent’s most respected chroniclers of the competition pause to reflect on the journey. 

For over three decades, South Africa’s Mark Gleeson and Tunisia’s Mondher Chaouachi have stood on touchlines, squeezed into mixed zones, filed through midnight deadlines, and watched African football evolve from a continental contest into a global spectacle.

Their combined experiences stretch from dusty training grounds in the 1990s to today’s polished media tribunes, from handwritten notes to digital feeds seen instantly across the world. 

In many ways, their lives mirror the AFCON story itself: challenging beginnings, steady growth, global attraction, and an undying heartbeat that keeps calling them back every two years.

A Tournament Like No Other

To Gleeson, widely regarded as the authority on African football journalism, AFCON is more than a sporting event — it is a professional homecoming. “AFCON feels like a professional convention to me,” he says. “Computer programmers gather in Las Vegas, doctors meet in specialist congresses, and for us African football journalists, the AFCON is where we all reunite.

For Chaouachi, whose AFCON story began at Tunisia 1994, the tournament carries a deeper emotional weight. “AFCON means a great deal to me. It is the biggest and most important event staged in Africa — truly the celebration of African football with passion, enthusiasm, colour, and a spirit that exists nowhere else,” he reflects. 

Between them, they have witnessed eras of dramatic change: from analogue to digital, from restricted access to professionalised media operations, from localised storytelling to international coverage. 

Yet both men insist that despite the transformation, AFCON has maintained its soul — the unmistakable mix of emotion, unpredictability, and cultural richness unique to African football.

When Africa Stood Up Together

Ask Gleeson about his earliest memory and he travels back to Senegal 1992 — his first AFCON. It was not a match but a moment that would define his career.

Before the tournament began, the CAF Congress in Dakar welcomed a delegation from the newly formed South African Football Association. South Africa, still awaiting FIFA membership after decades of apartheid-induced isolation, received a standing ovation from the rest of Africa.

“I will never forget it,” Gleeson says quietly. “The reception they received was unbelievable. Delegates rose to their feet. Given our history of isolation, it was deeply moving.” 

Two years later, Chaouachi experienced something similar on home soil. Tunisia 1994 marked not just his debut as an AFCON journalist but a milestone for Tunisian football. 

“The entire country was buzzing with excitement,” he recalls. “Covering it was a dream, a major career target.” 

These moments — political, cultural, and sporting — remind both men why AFCON is more than a football tournament. It is a reflection of Africa’s story.

The Game That Grew

The AFCON that both men first covered looks nothing like the version that will unfold in Morocco this year. Resources were limited, communication unreliable, coverage inconsistent.

Gleeson laughs remembering Burkina Faso 1998. “It felt like a difficult camping trip at times,” he says. “Logistical hardships were common then. Filing stories through bad phone lines, waiting days for accreditation… today things are far easier — though perhaps some of the adventure has been lost.” 

Chaouachi also recalls the early struggles vividly. Travelling across venues, dealing with uneven facilities, and working without structured media support was part of the AFCON experience. 

But he credits CAF for its transformation in the last decade: “Media coverage and professionalism have improved tremendously. CAF now provides world-class facilities and top-level services. The improvements made during the last two AFCON editions are especially tangible.” 

One of his standout professional memories came not from a match, but from witnessing the AFCON 2023 final in Côte d’Ivoire being managed for 632 accredited journalists, a number unimaginable in the 1990s. 

AFCON has grown — in visibility, in infrastructure, and in global reach. But so too has the environment around it, particularly the media.

The Changing Media Landscape

Digitalisation has transformed the job of a football journalist. Where once newspapers and radio dominated AFCON coverage, today’s storytellers include vloggers, influencers, and independent creators with audiences that rival major outlets.

Gleeson enjoys the diversity but warns of a flip side: “At the last AFCON, I was disappointed to see people in the mixed zone — posing as journalists — verbally abusing Ghana’s players. That is not journalism.

Chaouachi shares the concern but believes the solution lies in professionalism and strong media operations. He points to the success of CAF’s crisis communication team during AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. “It was tough, but the management was outstanding,” he says, crediting CAF’s modern communications structure for stabilising the situation. 

Despite the challenges, both men believe the modern AFCON is in safe hands. Morocco 2025, they predict, will set new standards.

“Morocco offers world-class facilities and brand-new stadiums of exceptional quality,” Chaouachi says. “Media professionals will work in very comfortable and favourable conditions.” 

Gleeson agrees. “If WAFCON in Morocco was a test run, then they passed with flying colours.” 

Players Then and Now

Both journalists have covered the careers of Africa’s greatest icons. Abedi Pelé. Okocha. Amokachi. Hadji. Madjer. Adebayor. El-Hadary. Aboutrika. Mané. Yaya Touré. Msakni.

Gleeson has interacted with all of them and insists that despite greater exposure and commercial demands, humility has remained a defining trait. “Their behaviour with the media has generally been exemplary across generations,” he says. 

Chaouachi echoes the sentiment: “African stars have largely maintained their humility and availability. Almost all showed excellent behaviour and professionalism. There has not been a major change in their profiles — they continue to rise to the occasion.” 

For both men, three names consistently sit near the top of AFCON history: Samuel Eto’o, Ahmed Hassan, and Mohamed Aboutrika — footballers whose influence transcended generations.

Advice to the Next Generation

For young journalists heading to Morocco, the two legends offer clear, practical guidance. Gleeson: “Be there. Too much coverage today is second-hand, lifted from TV or social media. Go to training sessions, hotels, press conferences — anything you have access to. Effort pays off.” 

Chaouachi: “The keys to success are commitment, dedication and professionalism. Stay organised, prepare mentally, and pay attention to details. Motivation and concentration should guide you.” 

Both warn that AFCON is exhausting — double-header matchdays, long distances, tight deadlines — but they insist it is worth it. “AFCON is not the place for rest,” Gleeson says bluntly. “Work hard. Rest when it is over.” 

What Keeps the Fire Burning?

For Chaouachi, the answer is simple: “My passion, dedication and pride in belonging to this amazing continent.” 

For Gleeson, it is the people: “To meet old friends — That’s what keeps the fire burning.” 

As AFCON Morocco 2025 approaches, the reflections of these two journalism titans remind us that the tournament’s story is not written only by the players on the pitch, but also by the voices that chronicle it, preserve it, and carry it to the world

-Cafonline

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