By Simon Asare
Agadir, (Morocco), Feb. 2, GNA – The race to host the 2025 edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is gradually becoming keen, with numerous countries making a bid to host the 35th edition of Africa’s biggest football showpiece.
With the Confederation of African Football (CAF) set to announce the host nation on February 10, 2023, Morocco has presented six venues, including Casablanca’s Stade Mohammed V, Rabat’s Stade Moulay Abdallah, Stade de Marrakech, Agadir’s Stade Adrar, Grand Stade de Tanger, and Complexe Sportif de Fès in their bid proposal.
Morocco, a country with a rich cultural heritage, hopes to host the tournament for the second time in its history, having done so 34 years ago in 1988.
With the AFCON having expanded to 24 teams back in 2019, infrastructure has become a major concern, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripping Guinea of the rights to host the tournament in 2025.
With CAF seeking a potential replacement for the tournament, Morocco’s bid is gaining momentum and looks like a strong favourite to win the bid considering its developed sporting infrastructure coupled with the remarkable road, accommodation infrastructure and overwhelming tourist centres.
Speaking in an interview with GNA Sports, Mr. Hassan Kharbouch, the Director of the Mohammed VI National Football Complex, expressed Morocco’s readiness to host any big international football competition, including the 2025 AFCON.
“Morocco over the past few years has hosted many international competitions, and we are always ready to host any tournament because we have everything it takes to make the host a successful one.
“The sporting infrastructure of the country has gone through massive investment in the past years, and we are beginning to see progress in our football, especially with our performances across various national teams,” he stated.
When asked about some unique facilities at the national sporting complex, Mr Hassan said the facility had four natural grass football pitches, three synthetic grass football pitches, a reathletization room capable of hosting futsal matches, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and over 1,000 rooms for players, among other facilities.
He noted that this was not the only sporting complex in the country, as they have numerous state-of-the-art complexes across various cities coupled with the various stadia presented in its AFCON bid.
GNA