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Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), expressed strong assurance on Monday that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will proceed as planned in Morocco, despite the ongoing widespread protests challenging the government.
For over a week, Moroccan youth have been demonstrating nightly, demanding an end to corruption and calling for governmental reforms. Their grievances also highlight the need for improvements in public services such as healthcare and education, alongside addressing broader social inequalities.
Morocco is set to host the AFCON tournament from December 21 to January 18, with matches scheduled across nine stadiums. The competition will feature 24 national teams, including prominent players like Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who plays for Liverpool, and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, a defender for Paris Saint-Germain.
During the annual meeting of African football leaders in Kinshasa, Motsepe reassured attendees, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stating, “Morocco remains our first, second, and third option.” He emphasized CAF’s commitment to collaborating closely with Moroccan authorities and citizens to deliver what he hopes will be the most successful AFCON in history.
Morocco previously hosted the AFCON in 1988 when the tournament featured only eight teams. The country had also been slated to host the 2015 edition but withdrew due to concerns over the Ebola outbreak at the time.
– The African Football League: A Key Initiative –
Motsepe also touched on plans to rejuvenate the African Football League, which was initially launched with great enthusiasm but discontinued in 2023 after a significantly scaled-back second season. Originally, the league was designed to include 24 teams, each playing at least 14 matches, with record-breaking prize money for African club football. However, the last edition featured only eight teams, with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns emerging as champions.
“Discussions are ongoing, and we are pleased with the progress,” Motsepe remarked, underscoring the league’s importance and its future continuation, though he did not provide further specifics.
Since taking over CAF leadership in 2021, Motsepe has worked to stabilize the organization’s finances, which were in a precarious state following the suspension of his predecessor, Ahmed Ahmed, due to violations including misuse of funds and breaches of loyalty.
Under Motsepe’s stewardship, CAF reported a net profit of $9.48 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year, with projections indicating a surplus of $28.45 million for the following year. “Our achievements over the past five years have been remarkable. Revenue has quadrupled, and we maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption. All funds are reinvested into football development,” he stated.
Motsepe highlighted that financial support to member associations has doubled, with a focus on increasing player salaries and strengthening national teams. “We provide $100,000 to each club that fails to reach the group stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. While this amount is modest, it assists with travel and other expenses,” he explained.