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Join on Telegram Doha – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe expressed high expectations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations draw, scheduled for this evening at Rabat’s Mohammed V National Theater, declaring it will be “exciting” and promising the tournament to be the most successful in the competition’s history.
“Everyone is eager to know the host country’s opponents,” Motsepe said upon arrival at Rabat-Salé airport on Sunday evening. “For me, it’s always very special to return to Morocco, a country that occupies a particular place in my heart,” he added.
The CAF president specifically acknowledged King Mohammed VI’s contribution to African football development.
“We appreciate highly the efforts made by the Sovereign in this sense,” Motsepe stated, also commending FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa for “the remarkable work he accomplishes in developing football, for the benefit of the Moroccan people and African populations.”
He continued, “When African countries, like the Kingdom, distinguish themselves, all of Africa is proud.”
The tournament’s true Moroccan identity was solidified Saturday when CAF revealed its official logo – the iconic football trophy covered in Morocco’s traditional “zellige” mosaic art.
The design combines football elements with intricate patterns, featuring symbolic colors: gold for achievement, green for unity, red for resilience, and blue for boundless potential.
The 24-team tournament, scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will be the first time Morocco hosts the continental championship since 1988.
Former Moroccan international Mustapha Hadji, who will assist in conducting the draw, talked about the significance of the event.
“As a true football country, hosting this competition is a huge honor and pride for Moroccans,” Hadji said in a CAF interview, while cautioning about the challenges ahead. “The challenge is immense, gigantic. We must not leave thinking that we are 100% winners. You have to respect all the opponents.”
The draw will distribute the qualified teams across six groups, with the hosts Morocco placed in Pot 1 alongside Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Twelve of the participating nations have previously claimed the AFCON title, sharing 28 championships between them.
Motsepe also connected Morocco’s hosting of AFCON 2025 to broader African football achievements, referencing the country’s historic 2022 World Cup semi-final appearance.
“The Moroccan team showed us the way in Qatar in 2022 by reaching the semi-finals,” he stated, expressing confidence that African teams will perform strongly in the 2026 World Cup.
The ceremony, broadcast in over 90 countries, will feature African football legends including Essam El Hadary, Patrick Mboma, and Gervinho as special guests.
The star-studded event will also showcase performances by a lineup of artists including Moroccan stars Hatim Ammor and Nouamane Lahlou, French-Congolese artist GIMS, and world-renowned Moroccan producer RedOne.
The event begins at 7 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT), with live coverage available on multiple platforms including CAF TV, beIN Sports, SuperSport, and Canal+.
Read also: AFCON 2025 Draw: What You Need to Know
