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AFCON

NIGERIA’S OLYMPIC EAGLES GETS INSPIRED BY TITLE DEFENCE AND OLYMPIC TICKET

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It is already four years when Nigeria added the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations trophy to their collection of continental silverwares following a spirited 2-1 win over Algeria at the second edition of the championship in Senegal en route to the 2016 Olympic Games.

Since Nigeria’s U-23 team broke the duck by winning a historic Africa’s first Gold medal in football at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the West Africans have maintained steady progress and were silver medallist in Beijing in 2008 whereas they won Bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. 

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Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles dispatched Sudan on their way to Egypt

Consequently, the current team under former Nigeria goalkeeper Imama Amapakabo are duty-bound to follow on the path of their predecessors but they must first of all earn one of the available continental tickets for Tokyo 2020 when the third edition of the U-23 AFCON gets underway in Egypt from 8-22 November.

It would not be easy as it seems based on the performance of the Olympic Eagles (as the team is currently known) in the qualifying tournament with a whimper against Libya and Sudan after losing two away ties to Libya (2-0) and Sudan (1-0) in Ben Guerdane and Omdurman respectively.

Yet the quality in the team with avalanche of Euro-based player was there for all to see in the two reverse ties at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba as they pummelled Libya 4-0 as well as the 5-0 thumping of Sudan to secure their third successive qualification for the quadrennial championship that started in 2011. 

“It was not easy for us to qualify for the U-23 AFCON in Egypt,” midfielder Kelechi Nwakali of Spanish side, SD Huesca, told CAFOnline.com

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“We lost both away matches to Libya and Sudan but won convincingly back home; that shows the kind of quality we have as a team. It’s a great feeling for us to secure the ticket to the U-23 AFCON in Egypt.”

The work of the Amapakabo–led side is already cut out in Egypt where they are drawn in a seemingly tough Group B complete with their bitter West African rivals Cote d’Ivoire as well as Southern African duo, Zambia and South Africa.

Nigeria will start their campaign on 9 November at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo against Cote d’Ivoire to be followed with the games against Zambia on 12 November and expected crunch match against South Africa on 15 November.

“None of the three matches against Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia and South Africa is going to be easy because the three teams have rich football pedigree,” explained the talented Nwakali who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) when he led Nigeria to win a record fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in Chile in 2015.

“I believe we can hold our own against them especially if we can bring our best individual qualities together for the team.”

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Meanwhile, Nigeria’s charge for a ticket to Tokyo 2020 would be led this time around by midfielder Azubuike Okechukwu who incidentally captained the team to glory the last term in Senegal.

Currently on loan to Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir from Egyptian club Pyramid FC, the 22-year-old Azubuike is widely regarded as one of the pillars of the team and it remains to be seen if he can lead the Olympic Eagles to glory for the second successive times.

“I was part of last national U-23 team that won the AFCON in Senegal and it was one of the best moments of my career, ” Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi who scored the opener in the 5-0 win over Sudan in Asaba told CAFOnline.com

“In this current squad, I would pick our captain (Azubuike Okechukwu) as the most influential because he has always shown courage, commitment and has been a good example to the team,” noted Awoniyi currently with Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga.

Apart from mercurial duo of Nwakali and Okechukwu, Amapakabo would also be counting on the likes of Orji Okwonkwo who recently made the headlines in the USA Major League Soccer (MLS) as Montreal Impact’s Most Outstanding Player of the season; as well as 20-year-old striker Sunday Faleye who impressed at the 2018 Total African Nations Championship where Nigeria finished as runners-up behind hosts Morocco.

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– Cafonline

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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AFCON

Royal Air Maroc named official partner for AFCON 2025, WAFCON 2024

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.”

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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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AFCON

Morocco speeds up stadium upgrades ahead of AFCON 2025

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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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AFCON

‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord 

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.

The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.

Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.

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Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.

Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.

They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.

The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.

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“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.

The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.

Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.

The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.

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ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.

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