AFCON
Expanded Format, Facilities Raise Concerns Over Cameroon 2019
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
There is palpable fear in Cameroon that the hosting rights for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations may be forfeited.
Even before the expanded format which the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced last month after a symposium in Rabat, Morocco, there had been fears of an in-built mechanism to make Cameroon fail in the excellent delivery of the tournament.
A Cameroon newspaper, Cameroon Post, had enunciated analysts’ views and summed that the decision to increase the number of teams from 16 to 24 beginning with the 2019 edition is a step towards telling Cameroon that they cannot host the competition.
Another publication, Bamenda Online, reported that “Cameroon may crack with expanded format”. In another edition of the publication, it reported that Algeria had submitted a request to replace Cameroon as the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, host, if CAF, decided to take away the hosting rights from Cameroon.
- Proposed Paul Biya Stadium, Yaounde
Citing an undisclosed source, Bemenda Online has it that a leader of Southern African regional football body, COSAFA, Phillip Chiyangwa, claimed that Cameroon’s hosting rights for AFCON tournaments were corruptly awarded under the regime of Issa Hayatou.
According to reports, the current CAF executive committee was said to be reviewing the manner in which the right to host the 2019, 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments were awarded to Cameroon and other West Africa nations by the previous CAF administration.
After those allegations faded out, the problem of doubts over Cameroon readiness to host the 2019 soccer jamboree erupted.
Cameroon Post quoted a sports journalist as saying that “Cameroon should sue CAF for changing the rules while the competition is ongoing. That is breach of the rules of the game. Anywhere, if the worst comes to the worse, the 2019 AFCON should be co-hosted.”
Perhaps it is along that line that Tombi A Roko Sidiki, the president of Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), is thinking. Shortly after returning from the Rabat, Morocco symposium organized by CAF, he told the press in Cameroon: “to me, the 2019 AFCON is underway and the playoffs of the competition have started. We are in a world of law and we are not going to change the rules of the game along the way.”
A senior journalist in Cameroon that Sports Village Square spoke with was of the opinion that the country was determined to meet the new demands imposed by the expanded cup format “knowing well that we are victims of the anti-Hayatou atmosphere in CAF today.
“It’s a sort of trap to take the hosting rights for us…but if they change the rules to eight stadia, we will give 10. The government and people of Cameroon are ready for the challenge and we will go the extra mile to welcome the continent in 2019”, remarked the experienced former sports journalist.
But situation on ground may be more than just a determination to deliver an excellent tournament. Stadium construction and upgrading of facilities are reportedly behind schedule.
In fact, Cameroon Post reported that FECAFOOT had terminated partnership agreements with a US-based company, Prime Potomac, which was saddled with the construction of Bemenda Olympic Stadium, one of the venues of the 2019 competition that is barely 18 months away.
Major concerns have been about facilities in Yaoundé and Douala which are being stalled by low funding. Under the previous 18-team format, Cameroon proposed to host the tournament in five cities of Douala, Yaoundé, Bafoussam, Garoua and Limbe.
It will now need six stadiums to host the competition. Sports Village Square gathered from Bamenda online that only the town of Limbe looks completely ready for the event.
The newspaper however quoted the country’s sports and physical education minister, Ismeal Bidoung Mkpatt as reassuring that the government was putting everything together for Cameroon to host Africa come 2019.
The upgrading of facilities is going at a very slow pace. According to Cameroon Post, work is yet to start on the Garoua Roumd Adjia Ominisport Stadium where the 16,000 seats need to be increased to 20,000.
Other works to be done there include refurbishment of dressing rooms, lightings, and the annexing of the nearby Lamido Hayatou de Poupoumre Stadium.
According to the reports, the works have been handed over to Chinese and Portuguese companies.
Other proposed sites are Bafoussam Ominisport Stadium, Paul Biya Stadium in Yaounde and the Japoma Stadium in Douala.
According to Cameroon Post, facilities in Douala and Yaounde pose the greatest problems. Construction works are yet to begin. “The Turkish firm contracted for Paul Biya Stadium and its two annexes in Yaounde has opted to import pre-fabricated parts to speed up the project.” The report has it that work recently began at Japoma Stadium in Douala.
- Proposed Japoma Stadium, Douala
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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