AFCON
From AFCON Touchlines to Timeless Journeys: A Sports Reporter’s Pilgrimage to Ibn Battouta’s Museum in Tangier
By Kunle Solaja, Tangier
Covering a major tournament like the Africa Cup of Nations often narrows a journalist’s world to stadiums, training grounds and mixed zones. Yet, in Tangier, football kept nudging me gently toward history. One such nudge led to the modest but evocative Ibn Battuta Museum, dedicated to one of the greatest travellers the world has ever known.
The entrance to the Ibn Battouta Museum
Great thanks to the dedicated team of the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME) who served as tour guides.
Originally, the stadium in Tangier, now called Stade d’Tanger, where Senegal picked their ticket for the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, was called the Ibn Battouta Stadium, in affectionate memory of a prominent traveller, hundreds of years ago.
Set within the winding alleys of the old medina of Tangier, which is the local market, the museum does not announce itself loudly. Like the journeys of its subject, it invites discovery rather than spectacle.
For a sports reporter accustomed to floodlights and roaring crowds, stepping into this quiet historical space felt like changing tempo—from a fast-paced counterattack to a patient build-up.
A Compact Museum with Expansive Ideas
The museum’s facilities are simple but thoughtfully curated. Display rooms are compact, clean and well-lit, guiding visitors chronologically through the life and travels of Ibn Battuta. Panels, maps and illustrations trace his astonishing 14th-century journeys across North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and parts of Europe and China—covering a distance that modern estimates place at over 120,000 kilometres.
Graphic summary of Ibn Battuta’s global journey
Glass cases hold replicas of medieval travel instruments, old manuscripts and artistic representations of cities Ibn Battuta visited.
The walls are lined with maps that resemble early match charts—routes instead of fixtures, continents instead of groups, and seas instead of borders. For someone immersed in tournament logistics, these ancient travel routes felt oddly familiar: planning, endurance, adaptation and survival.
What struck me most was how Ibn Battuta’s travels mirrored the essence of elite sport. He left home at a young age, embracing uncertainty, adapting to foreign cultures, learning new languages, and surviving political upheavals, harsh climates, and long separations. His journey was not a straight path to glory; it was a series of away fixtures played under unfamiliar conditions.
His journey across Europe and Asia, as well as parts of Africa, however, did not take him to the area currently known as Nigeria. When I asked one member of Team ANME, Mamoune Kadiri, he jokingly responded that “Nigeria did not give him a visa.”
The museum highlights his encounters with sultans, scholars, merchants and ordinary people—a testament to how curiosity and openness can turn travel into education. Reading about his years on the road, I could not help but think of modern footballers and journalists who criss-cross continents in pursuit of careers, stories and moments that outlive scorelines.
A Fortress Above the Sea
One of the museum’s quiet surprises lies above. From its upper level, the building cuts the picture of an old fortress, offering commanding views of the sea and the bustling port below.
View from atop the Ibn Battuta Museum. The seaport where passengers travel to Europe.
There are relics of old machine guns pointing mainly towards the sea. From here, the geography of Tangier reveals itself in full: the coastline stretching outward, ships dotting the water, and the harbour where passengers board boats bound for Europe.
Where Sport Meets History
The museum’s quiet atmosphere encourages reflection. Benches placed strategically allow visitors to sit, read and absorb. There are no digital gimmicks or overwhelming multimedia displays—just history presented with restraint. It fits Tangier perfectly: a city that has always thrived on intersections, exchanges and movement.
Outside, the medina buzzes again—vendors calling, footsteps echoing, life resuming its normal rhythm. Inside, the legacy of a man who turned travel into purpose lingers.
A Different Kind of Matchday Memory
As AFCON headlines continue to be written and rewritten, this visit offered something rarer: perspective. Ibn Battuta’s story reminds us that journeys are not always about destinations or trophies, but about growth, resilience and understanding the world beyond familiar borders.
For a sports reporter in Tangier, the visit to Ibn Battuta’s museum became an unexpected extension of tournament coverage—proof that even during football’s biggest competitions, the road still has lessons to teach. And like the best matches, it is an experience that stays long after the final whistle.
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Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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