AFCON 2025 KICKS OFF IN MOROCCO WITH MUSIC, COLOUR, AND A HOME WIN

By: Gyang Dakwo

The 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations began on Sunday in Morocco with a colourful opening ceremony that mixed football, music, and culture, and set the tone for a month of competition across the country.

Global music stars thrilled the crowd, with singers Davido, French Montana, and RedOne taking centre stage in a ceremony designed to appeal to audiences across Africa and beyond. The event officially marked the start of the tournament, which will run until 18 January.

A total of 24 national teams are taking part, and matches will be played in six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez, and Agadir. Nine stadiums are in use, and Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 1988, which adds to the sense of occasion around the tournament.

Organisers have described AFCON 2025 as one of the most ambitious editions yet, as it combines top-level football with strong cultural storytelling and large-scale entertainment.

Later on, Sunday night, the hosts got their campaign off to a solid start with a 2 to 0 win over Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The stadium was filled to capacity, and the home fans created a lively atmosphere from start to finish.

Morocco had to work hard for the victory, as Comoros stayed organised and defended well for long periods. The breakthrough came in the second half when Brahim Díaz opened the scoring, and Ayoub El Kaabi later added a second goal to seal the result.

Although the scoreline suggested a comfortable win, the match demanded patience and discipline from the hosts, who were determined not to disappoint on opening night.

Action continues on Monday with more group matches. Mali will face Zambia in the next Group A game in Casablanca, while Group B will see Angola take on South Africa in Marrakech. In Agadir, Egypt will begin their campaign against Zimbabwe, with Mohamed Salah leading the North African side.

As the tournament gathers pace, fans across the continent will be watching closely, and Morocco will hope both the football and the hosting leave a lasting impression.