AFCON
George Weah backs Morocco’s bid for 2025 Afcon; headache looms in CAF
Africa’s living football icon and Liberia’s President George Weah has expressed his country’s “full” and “strong” support for Morocco’s bid to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The commitment came from a statement from Liberia’s state house at the weekend. With this, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) may have a difficult choice in February when the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will be announced.
With the on-going cold war between neighbours – Morocco and Algeria – which had seen the former being denied by the latter in participating in the on-going African Nations Championship, CAF may not want to award the competition to either to avert possible recurrence of denial of entry into one another’s territory.
It is almost inconceivable that one of them will fail the qualifying tests. But the voice of President George Weah is strong in African football.
“I have made this commitment to King Mohammed VI. It is cast in stone,” Liberia’s President remarked in a statement issued.
Emphasizing Morocco and Liberia’s strong relations, Weah stressed his commitment to fully support Morocco. Demonstrating his loyalty, he announced that he has begun campaigning for Morocco with football stakeholders around the continent.
“I have made this commitment to King Mohammed VI. It is cast in stone,” he added, noting Morocco’s historic World Cup run in Qatar.
Weah, who was a former professional football player, said Morocco brought “immense pride to Africa” during the 2022 World Cup.
In addition to Liberia, Botswana publicly expressed its support last year for Morocco’s bid to host AFCON.
“Morocco has made a bid to host the 2025 AFCON Men’s final, and Botswana will [give] them the support it needs to be successful,” Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced last year on Twitter.
In October 2022, Morocco’s news agency MAP cited a source close to Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) confirming that the North African country intends to propose its candidacy to host the continental tournament.
Morocco has not hosted AFCON since 1988. In addition to Morocco, Algeria also confirmed last year its intention to submit its bid to host the tournament.
The decision came after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew the hosting rights from Guinea due to a lack of infrastructure and equipment in order for the country to host the competition.
It remains to be seen whether Algeria’s bid will secure support in Africa following the African Nations Championship (CHAN) controversy.
Algeria has deprived the Moroccan national football team of participating in CHAN after refusing to issue a permit that would allow the official carrier of the Atlas Lions to transport the squad directly from Rabat to Constantine to take part in the tournament.
Algeria also politicized the competition after inviting Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela, who made hostile political remarks against Morocco to challenge its territorial integrity over its southern provinces in Western Sahara during CHAN’s opening ceremony.
Distancing itself from the political remarks, CAF said it opened an investigation into the political statement and racist comments made against Morocco and its citizens during the opening ceremony of CHAN.
Algeria, South Africa, Zambia and a joint bid form Benin-Nigeria are the other nations seeking to replace Guinea, who were stripped of hosting rights because of concerns over infrastructure and facilities.
Confederation of African Football (Caf) inspection teams are touring the bidding countries this month.
Findings will be submitted to the 24-member Caf executive committee which will announce the winner on 10 February.
CAF president, Patrice Motsepe said the successful country or countries would offer the best “transport, logistics, hotels and beautiful stadiums”.
“Each region will have a chance to organise a CAN (Cup of Nations). We cannot assign the organisation of the CAN successively to the same region.”
With that statement, the joint bid of Nigeria and Benin appears dead on arrival as another West African country, Cote d’ivoire will host the preceeding edition meant for this year in 2014.
The pendulum therefore swings in favour of the Southern African region where South Africa and Zambia are the contestant.
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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