The 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations originally ended with the hosts Morocco blowing the chance to go into co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, alongside near-ish neighbours Spain and Portugal, on a high. Instead, Senegal managed to rip up the script to become continental champions after an extra-time win in the final, against a backdrop of “hospitals not stadiums” protests. Now, the result of that final is mired in a controversial dispute, which is a whole other story! So, how successful has the drive to invest in the country's football infrastructure, at the behest of King Mohammed VI, actually proved to be thus far?
The starting point could be said to be the unveiling of the academy, bearing his name, in 2009. With the aim being development of the players who would go on to contribute to the overall goal of being Africa's best. The near- apex of which, of course, was the Atlas Lions hopefully adding to their maiden AFCON win in 1976. A quest which started well enough with a 2-0 win over Comoros to kick off in Group A, Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi the scorers to ensure a home three points and presumably royal, in both Mohammed and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, senses of approval!
Yet, just two months before kick-off on 21st December, not everyone was happy. A protest group calling themselves Gen Z 212 (the international dialling code for Morocco, in case you were wondering) decided to make it known that in their eyes the government had got it wrong in splashing out £3.7 billion on football. Even if it is the World Cup, the pinnacle of the international game- they argue that there are more important matters, namely the state of the healthcare system.
"No World Cup, health comes first"
"We want hospitals not football stadiums"
Simple slogans, but arguably effective in taking a certain degree of the spotlight off the football, as is, upon closer inspection, the list of things they'd rather see on home soil than a World Cup!
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Free and quality education for all
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Accessible public healthcare for everyone
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Decent and affordable housing
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Better public transport
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Lower prices and subsidise basic goods
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Improve wages and pensions
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Provide job opportunities for youth and reduce unemployment
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Adopt English as the second language instead of French (after Arabic)
As one protester put it admirably succinctly- "I am protesting because I want my country to be better. I don't want to leave Morocco, and I don't want to resent my country for choosing to stay.”
Of course, play went on- the national side rounding out the group phase at AFCON with a 1-1 draw with Mali and 3-0 win over Zambia, El Kaabi and Brahim once again divvying up the goals between them as they carried the hosts through to a last sixteen meeting with Tanzania. Where another Brahim goal was enough to carry them closer to what was supposed to be a crowning glory and a quarter-final with Cameroon. The Atlas Lions saw off their Indomitable counterparts 2-0, another Brahim goal alongside a first of the tournament for Ismail Saibari doing no harm to their continental or World Cup host credentials as Nigeria lay in wait.
A 4-2 win on penalties after extra time was the outcome, as only Hamza Igamane missed his spot kick- Neil Yoni El Aynaoui, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Achraf Hakimi, and Youssef En- Neysyri sticking theirs away to put Morocco into the final. Although, yet again it wasn't the actual football that proved the talking point, given a walk-off by yet more Lions- this time those of Teranga- threatened to drag what was meant to be the start of the hosts' ascent to the top into farce. Common sense did eventually prevail, as the game was completed even if the result wasn't what had been hoped for by the hosts. Only now we have even more farce with CAF trying to re-litigate the game from their board room.
Nevertheless, the Royal Office put out a statement soon after the tournament-
"Following the 35th African Cup of Nations, hosted with great enthusiasm by the Kingdom of Morocco from December 21st, 2025 to January 18th, 2026, His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, wishes to convey His gratitude to all members of the Nation, who have contributed admirably to the full success of this wonderful event.
“His Majesty the King particularly wishes to congratulate all citizens, across various cities of the Kingdom, for the efforts deployed, and to thank each and every one for their valuable contribution to this historic success, which has been acknowledged and acclaimed worldwide…
Moreover, even if this major continental football celebration hosted by the Kingdom appears to have been sadly marred by the unfortunate events of the final minutes of the match between the national teams of Morocco and Senegal, during which regrettable incidents and deeply deplorable behavior occurred, it remains nonetheless that, once passions have subsided, inter-African fraternity will naturally prevail, for this Moroccan success is also an African success. Morocco remains proud to have offered, on its soil, a month of popular joy and sporting emotion, and to have contributed to the prominence of Africa and its football.
Furthermore, in view of the denigration and attempts at discrediting sustained, His Majesty the King, may God assist Him, remains convinced that hostile schemes will never reach their aims, and that Moroccan people know to balance matters and not to be drawn into resentment and discord.”
And on it goes.
For now, Walid Regragui and his men will hope to top their previous best at a World Cup (the semi-finals in 2022)- the best performance by an African side in the history of the tournament. Four years ago they eventually fell to France having won Group F and finished three points ahead of Croatia in second to book a last sixteen tie with Spain. They showed they meant business with a 3-0 win on penalties courtesy of Abdelhamid Sabiri, Hakim Ziyech and Hakimi, to go through to a quarter final against 2030 co hosts Portugal, when En-Nesyri's goal just before half- time was enough to ensure history was made.
A look forward to this year's tournament reveals a slight trip down memory lane, as Group C finds them paired with Haiti and former France ‘98 opponents Brazil and Scotland. A third place finish in Group A back then was a building block to that 2022 high water mark in a journey which started relatively late in international footballing terms at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
There they had a wooden spoon finish in Group 4, following a 2-1 opening defeat by West Germany, which at least saw Mohammed Houmane Jarir take the chance to become his country's first World Cup goalscorer. Peru then swatted them aside 3-0 and things petered out with a 1-1 stalemate against Bulgaria, Maohoub Ghazouani bagging an equaliser just after the hour mark to send them home from Mexico with at least some small measure of pride and set them off on a journey which could now peak in four years time.