Rabat – CAF president Patrice Motsepe has hailed Morocco’s role in African football, pointing to the country’s consistent willingness to host continental competitions.
He spoke on Sunday during a press conference, where he stressed Morocco’s growing importance as a host nation, especially ahead of upcoming tournaments.
Morocco will stage both the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, continuing a run of major events organized in the country.
Motsepe said Morocco often stands alone when CAF opens bidding processes for certain competitions.
“When we open the door for countries to apply, it is open to everyone,” he said. “But in many cases, Morocco is the only country that submits a bid.”
He explained that not all CAF competitions attract strong interest from host nations. Some tournaments, including women’s club competitions and futsal events, do not generate significant revenue and can lead to financial losses for organizers.
“These are not always profitable competitions,” Motsepe said. “Organizing them can cost money. But Morocco still steps forward.”
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Limited competition for hosting rights
Motsepe also addressed the question of balance in hosting across different regions in Africa. He said CAF would prefer to see more countries take part in the bidding process.
“I support giving opportunities to different regions,” he said. “But when we receive only one bid, we have to move forward with it.”
In many cases, that single bid has come from Morocco.
Morocco’s continued leadership in hosting tournaments comes at a time when African football is trying to expand and strengthen its competitions across different levels.
