Morocco to host AFCON 2025

Ivory Coast will host the 2023 AFCON

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that Morocco will host the AFCON 2025 (Africa Cup of Nations). They get the opportunity to host the competition for the second time in their history. The last time AFCON was back in 1988.

A joint East African bid from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania has also won the rights to hold the 2027 tournament.

Morocco replaced Guinea as the AFCON 2025 hosts, who were stripped of the tournament in October last year because of concerns about infrastructure and facilities.

Zambia and a joint Nigeria-Benin bid were also in the running for 2025. But they agreed to withdraw in order to allow Morocco to prove its worth in the hope it would increase the chances of Africa hosting the World Cup.

Recently, Morocco were also in the headlines for making a joint bid with Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Patrice Motsepe, president of organisers CAF, said all of the options for both tournaments would have made Africa "proud".

He added the decisions had been based on the level of infrastructure made available by bids, including facilities, accommodation and hospitals.

"The decision that was taken today was to focus on African unity, development and growth, in the context of those countries withdrawing," Motsepe said of Morocco's success, which also came after Algeria withdrew on the eve of the vote.

"A huge amount of money is being spent on Morocco for 2025. The bid from Morocco to host the World Cup is not just for Morocco, but for the whole of Africa."

The AFCON 2023 will take place in Ivory Coast from 13 January until 11 February 2024. The draw will take place in Abidjan on 12 October at 19:00 GMT.