AFCON begins at the airport as Morocco rolls out the red carpet for Africa

In exactly five days, Africa’s greatest event, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will kick-off in Rabat on Sunday with a Group A clash between hosts Morocco and Comoros that is the start of a four-week race to the title.

The match will kick-off at 8pm local time (7pm GMT/9pm SAST) and will be watched by a sold-out crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Excitement is building up this week as the host nation opens the 35th edition of the tournament, the first time the country has staged the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON in 37 years.

CAF General Secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba said: “Morocco has provided world-class infrastructure, not only for African footballers but also for supporters from across the continent and beyond. In terms of preparation, we are ready. For the first time we launched the Diaspora Tour. We brought the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON trophy to African communities abroad to say: ‘Come, you will be welcomed as you should be’. The diaspora has since become our biggest driver of ticket sales. It was a gesture of respect and belonging. In Morocco, the strategy includes a strong promotional campaign, government mobilisation and new partnerships. We wanted to push further and truly innovate.”

This year’s edition is expected to surpass the historic success of the 2023 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, which recorded more than 1.5 billion global TV viewers and 2.4 billion digital streams, setting new benchmarks for African football visibility as the continent’s best teams, world-class footballers and millions of passionate supporters meet.

Morocco is putting the finishing touches on preparations across six host cities – Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir – all of which will stage matches in nine state-of-the-art stadiums.

The Kingdom successfully staged the recent TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024 and the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, showcasing its organisational excellence and the passion of fans for the game.

Fans heading to the tournament can expect world-class hospitality, modern infrastructure and electric atmospheres as Africa’s finest players compete for the chance to lift the trophy at the final on 18 January.

The tournament serves as another major milestone in the remarkable journey of a competition first played in 1957 – a showcase of African talent, unity and passion.

Five days before the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco, the moment Africa begins to arrive is not at the stadium gates - but at the airport.

Stepping off a flight into Casablanca on Monday night, it is immediately clear that the country has entered AFCON mode. Before luggage belts, before immigration desks, before the familiar hum of arrivals halls, football announces itself.

Giant AFCON-branded footballs dominate the terminal. LED screens pulse with tournament colours. Slogans welcoming Africa flash across walls and walkways. From the moment fans land, Morocco’s airports are no longer just transit points - they are part of the competition itself.

With tens of thousands of supporters expected to pass through Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier, Fès and Agadir in the coming days, Morocco’s airport network has moved into full operational and celebratory mode ahead of the continent’s flagship tournament.

The transformation is part of a nationwide campaign launched by the National Airports Office (ONDA) under the theme “Welcome Football, Welcome Fans”.

In a statement, ONDA confirmed that Morocco’s airports are “fully ready to play their role as true gateways to celebrate the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations”, working closely with the Local Organising Committee and CAF.

Across arrival halls, AFCON-themed LED campaigns have been unfurled, immersive visuals guide fans through terminals, and giant installations - including symbolic footballs and tournament motifs - signal that the month ahead belongs to African football.

“It feels like the tournament starts the moment you land,” said Joseph Kabongo, a Congolese fan arriving from Kinshasa.

“You haven’t even stamped your passport yet, but already you feel the energy. It’s different from other tournaments.”

Behind the scenes, the spectacle is supported by months of logistical planning and infrastructure upgrades.

Over the past year, Morocco has expanded airport capacity, modernised passenger flows, reinforced security procedures and deployed additional trained staff to manage the expected surge.

Authorities say the effort has involved multiple agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the Royal Gendarmerie, Customs and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.

Dedicated welcoming zones, multilingual signage, reinforced assistance teams and real-time operational monitoring systems are now in place, particularly in cities hosting AFCON matches.

ONDA says the goal is to ensure “optimal support from the moment of arrival on Moroccan soil.”

For many fans, that efficiency is already being felt.

“Everything moved smoothly,” said Amina Diallo, a Senegalese supporter arriving in Casablanca with friends.

“There are volunteers everywhere, signs in different languages, and the football decorations just make you smile. It feels organised, but also warm.”

The celebratory atmosphere is deliberate. Airports hosting AFCON matches have been redesigned to act as extensions of the tournament itself - featuring illuminated walkways, fan tunnels, monumental arches and interactive zones that usher supporters into the spirit of the competition long before kickoff.

A newly released promotional film by ONDA sets the tone, presenting airports as the first chapter of the AFCON experience - a blend of football, culture and hospitality.

For Abdulrahman Sule, a Nigerian fan arriving from Lagos, the message is clear.

“You know you’re in an AFCON country immediately,” he said. “The colours, the screens, the footballs - it’s telling you that Africa has gathered here.”

Morocco’s handling of the arrival phase will be closely watched with preparations already under way to co-host the 2030 Fifa World Cup, the ability to manage fan movement and experience is under scrutiny.

ONDA has framed the airport operation as more than logistics - positioning it as part of Morocco’s broader ambition to establish itself as a continental aviation and tourism hub.

“Our airports are not just places of transit,” the statement said. “They are spaces where the African journey begins.”

That sentiment resonates with fans crossing borders for the tournament.

“I’ve been to AFCONs before,” said Youssef Benali, a Moroccan supporter welcoming friends from Algeria at the arrivals gate. “But this feels bigger. It feels like Morocco is saying: Africa, you are at home.”

As flights continue to land and arrival halls fill with jerseys, flags and chants, one thing is clear: AFCON 2025 is already under way - not with a whistle but with a welcome.

From giant footballs to glowing LED campaigns, Morocco’s airports have become the first stadiums of the tournament, offering supporters a promise - that this Africa Cup of Nations will be remembered from the very first step on Moroccan soil.