LETTER FROM CASABLANCA

Morocco first hosted the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1988 and will host it again from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026. The final draw on Monday, January 27, that determined the qualifying teams for the next edition, prompted a wave of comments in the press and on social media.

But it was the draw the day before that elicited the most reactions. On the agenda: accommodation for the 24 participating teams, as well as the designated 'base camps' which comprise 24 hotels and as many training grounds. Never before has such a profusion of infrastructures been put to the service of an AFCON, the African alter ego of the UEFA. So much so, that the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe, has predicted that this year's edition will be "the best in the history" of the competition.

Morocco's new concept of a base camp for each team contrasts with the formula presented by Côte d'Ivoire a year ago. The kingdom is providing five-star establishments, such as the Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton and Sofitel, to name but a few, in contrast to the unattractive housing estates, dubbed "AFCON cities," that sprang up in Bouake, Korhogo and San Pedro, in Ivory Coast and where each city housed several teams. The Moroccan and Algerian teams refused to stay there, arguing that they were too close to their rivals teams.

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