Rabat: The Africa Cup of Nations (2025 AFCON) that Morocco is gearing up to host from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, is set to be ‘a must in terms of infrastructure and organization,’ wrote on Monday the French sports daily ‘L’Equipe.’

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the Kingdom ‘intends to deliver the most spectacular AFCON in history,’ the outlet emphasizes, highlighting the high-level infrastructure to host the 24 African teams. However, ‘the success of such an event is above all determined by the organizers’ campaign,’ the daily notes, adding that the Atlas Lions, the tournament’s favorites, do not envision ‘missing out on a trophy they have chased since 1976.’

‘A nation will breathe red and green awaiting a trophy that has escaped the Kingdom since 1976 in Ethiopia,’ the article points out, noting that the recent performances of Moroccan football bolster these expectations. In this respect, ‘L’Equipe’ recalls mainly the Atlas Lions’ semi-finals campaign at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the U20 World Cup triumph, the achievements of women’s football and Achraf Hakimi’s African Footballer of the Year award, ‘all of which contribute to a feeling of invincibility.’

Morocco intends to add ‘a royal chapter’ to the collective history of AFCON by combining unprecedented infrastructure, in a context of popular enthusiasm and sporting ambition, with the clear objective of leaving a lasting mark on African football.