CAF President Patrice Motsepe on Saturday hailed the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco as the best edition ever, citing infrastructure, transport networks, hotels, stadiums, and training facilities.
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the final between Morocco and Senegal, the CAF president took the opportunity to express his sincere thanks to HM King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government, and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
“African football must be the best in the world. We must excel at the highest level. My wish is for all five regions of Africa to be able to host the AFCON, provided that infrastructure meets the required standards.”
CAF Chief expressed the wish is to lay solid foundations for the development of African football that will bear fruit in the years to come. In addition, he announced that the African Nations League will be held in 2029 with the participation of all 54 countries.
“Imagine Kenya versus Tanzania, Ghana versus Nigeria, Egypt versus Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire versus Cameroon,” Motsepe said about the new competition, which was announced last December in Rabat, noting that the best players will take part since the tournament will be held during the FIFA international window.
According to the CAF president, the format will be zonal, with all zone winners facing each other for the ultimate title.
“Many countries want to host the 2028 AFCON and the African Nations League in 2029,” Motsepe said, defending the idea of holding the AFCON every four years.
“An AFCON every four years will be in the interest of African football. This is a well-thought-out decision,” he noted, stressing the independence of CAF’s decision-making.
“We must free ourselves as Africans and not believe that every decision we take is dictated by FIFA or Europe,” he underscored.
Regarding refereeing performances at AFCON 2025, Motsepe said: “We have confidence in our African referees. All 54 countries on the continent must be treated on an equal footing.”
The Algerian people and fans of the Algerian national team must be wary of the military regime’s plans to incite discord between Algerian and Moroccan fans, exploiting it for its own malicious agenda. Let football and its passion remain confined to the spirit of sportsmanship in this fraternal continental African sporting event.
Wise people must exercise caution and not be swayed by the websites used by this military regime and its cronies to sow discord among the peoples of the region.
The Moroccan people are unconcerned by the clamor of the media outlets of our eastern neighbors, nor by the machinations of some. We have known them for decades; we are familiar with the treachery of the military regime and the shallowness of their ambitions, just as we are aware of the vileness of Al Jazeera.
Under the leadership of our King and with highly professional personnel such as the masters of administration, planning, and management: Fouzi Lekjaa, Nasser Bourita, and many others, the Kingd