MOROCCO, the host of the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations, (AFCON 2025) has continued to receive rave reviews over what has been generally noted as provision of world-class facilities. Even Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, couldn’t hide his praise for Morocco’s role as the host of the AFCON 2025, highlighting the country’s organisational excellence and world-standard football infrastructure.
In an interview with Al Sharq Sports on the sidelines of the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino described Morocco as a “great country and a wonderful host” for the championship. Specifically, the Italian FIFA boss spoke on the quality of the stadiums and facilities prepared for the tournament, stating that the infrastructure in Morocco is “amazing” and reflective of a nation capable of hosting continental and even global football’s premier events. He concluded that Morocco has joined the global football elites. He wasn’t exaggerating.
As the North African country has been also been preparing for the 2030 World.Cup as a co-host, Morocco renovated and also constructed new stadiums in cities like Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir, Marrakech, and Fez, which have all been commended for meeting and often exceeding international standards.Besides, the high-quality hybrid pitches have been specifically noted by players and coaches, including Senegal’s Idrissa Gana Gueye and Mali’s Tom Saintfiet.
What is more, the quality at issue in Morocco extends beyond the stadiums to overall infrastructure, including hotel accommodations, transport logistics and security. Organisers also noted systems inspired by major world events, such as dedicated World Cup-style base camps for all 24 teams and high-speed rail links between host cities, a first for AFCON.
As a result, delegates, fans, leaders of football federations, sports journalists and experts and supporter clubs have highlighted the warm Moroccan hospitality and professional organisation, contributing to a positive and vibrant tournament atmosphere.
What is more interesting, Morocco is seen to have also raised the bar for sport broadcasting with technical innovations like spidercams, drone cameras and fully centralised audiovisual production, providing an enhanced viewing experience for a record number of international broadcasters. Training centres are different from stadiums and are equipped with modern facilities.
For example, there have been reports that the MAS Fès training centre, where the Super Eagles were domiciled before moving to Marrakech for their quarterfinal match against Algeria, represents one of Morocco’s deepest advantages at the Africa Cup of Nations. The centre is a reflection of permanent football infrastructure designed for daily excellence, not occasional spectacles.
The pitches are firm, well-drained and consistently match-ready. Rain does not disrupt sessions. Players train at full intensity without fear of injury. Recovery spaces are close, functional and professionally managed. Tactical rooms sit just a few steps from the pitch. Nothing in Morocco for the AFCON is accidental. More important, the environment is controlled, not so invasion-prone without provocations such as happened during the final between Senegal and Morocco.
As observed by a Nigerian journalist, “while many countries still treat tournaments as temporary events — borrowing facilities, improvising logistics, and overusing match stadiums — Morocco treats tournaments as extensions of an already-functioning football ecosystem”.
All told, the Confederation of African Football designated 24 base camps across Moroccan cities, assigning every participating nation a dedicated training ground — another first by Morocco.
The quality of the facilities has understandably helped teams to their full potentials. According to Segun Odegbami, a Super Eagles legend, the facilities might have helped the Nigerian team which struggled for performance at home in Uyo to play seamlessly, getting the desired results.
Talking of the round of 16 win against Mozambique, Odegbami said; “What was it that made the difference for a group of great players that have not been able, for some years, to find their rhythm as a team, and have been struggling to win even the easiest of matches on home soil?
The answer isn’t too far to seek. There are several other factors contributing to some scintillating performances in Morocco, so far, but the single most important but least acknowledged, is the exquisite playing surface.
You read reports such as this: “Morocco has invested in constructing part of the best football pitches in the world – lush green, perfectly flat, manicured grass fields that provide the surface for the best players in the world to showcase their skills and play their best football. These pitches are all over Morocco. They do not have or tolerate a single patch of an uneven grass surface, making every move and every pass a work of art. That’s what the Uyo Township Stadium lacks. It is the ‘best’ facility in Nigeria, but from close examination it is a planet away from what AFCON 2023 in Cote D’Ivoire and AFCON 2025 in Morocco offer”.
The legend challenged Nigeria sports authorities to take the bull by the horn and ensure that the right facilities and set of people are in place. His words that should not be disregarded by sport powers and principalities in Nigeria:
“Nigeria should now take the bull by the horn, remove the wool from her face, get rid of pretenders that do not know why they should invest in constructing the best grass surfaces in all the major stadia around Nigeria, with a maintenance regimen that will sustain it.”
Morocco’s sports infrastructure revolution goes beyond the 2025 Cup of Nations as it was not a coincidence that the country has bailed out CAF on several occasions. Morocco recently turned a new hosting bride for the continent after it was awarded the hosting of the just concluded festival, making it the first time any country would be staging the biannual championship for three consecutive times.
That is why analysts have noted that Nigeria should learn significant lessons from Morocco’s approach to hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, which primarily centered on long-term strategic planning, institutional strength and a business-minded approach to sports development.
Another lesson: Morocco is leveraging the epic event to promote itself as a top travel destination. It has implemented specific measures to encourage visitors and expects a significant influx of fans.
For AFCON 2025, Morocco reportedly issued e-visas through the Yalla App free for all travellers to the tournament to ease entry. Additionally, visa-free travel agreements were established with some countries (like Ghana) to further boost fan participation. The initiative is part of a broader national strategy to use high-profile sporting events to build lasting confidence in Morocco’s tourism sector and enhance its global visibility.
Speaking on the development, Sunday Oliseh, former Super Eagles captain and coach, praised the North African country, reeling what they had achieved through sustained sports development. His weighty words:
“You see, they have built infrastructure, they have set up a strategy. One thing that is very clear in Morocco is accountability and responsibility. The country is pushing forward, and they are now Africa’s number one team. They were the first African nation to get to the semi-finals of the World Cup. They were bronze medalists at the last Olympics. They came third. They would have won it, but they lost to the eventual winners, Spain, in the semi-finals.
Oliseh continued: “When you look at it from every direction, Morocco has built infrastructure. They have a strategy. They have decided on a playing style. They have set up a wage system. Their male teams are doing well, and in the African Champions League, Moroccan clubs are dominant. They are winning trophies. They just won the Under-20 — a trophy we have never won.
That tells you that being organised is not un-African. Moroccans are Africans. South Africans are Africans. So, we also just have to decide as a race that this is what we need to do, for the benefit of the people…Because of what King Mohammed VI did and the structures they built, there is now an industry employing millions of Moroccans. It is a football industry…This football thing is not just fun or going to the viewing centre. No. Football is job creation. If youths are not put into industries like sports, they will do wrong things.”
Oliseh concluded that such can actually happen in Nigeria with deliberate planning: “If we plan and do the right thing, we can leverage sports to advance our youths…Our population is youth-populated. If anyone doubts that Nigerian youths are talented, look at our music and entertainment industry. When youths are allowed to set up their own businesses, we excel so much that even artists from the United States are begging to collaborate with Nigerian artists. I am optimistic because all we have to do is get it right. Everything is already there. We are like a bomb waiting to explode — but in the right direction”.
Meanwhile, there are so many leadership lessons from the Morocco 2025 that should go beyond the realms of entertainment and tourism. I think Nigerian leaders at all levels including the sport sector’s should swallow their pride and vanity and learn from the national culture, which culminated into dynamic capabilities of Morocco in the just concluded AFCON 2025. The first point Nigerian leaders should bear in mind before shifting their responsibility to their followers is that ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’ as John Maxwell has simplified.
Sadio Mane’s leadership during the AFCON 2025/26 final was truly inspiring. He showed that you don’t need a title to be a leader. When his teammates walked off the pitch in protest, Mane stood still, seeking advice from former coach Claude Le Roy, and then persuaded them to return. His calmness and sense of responsibility saved the game from descending into chaos that would have been reproachful to his country and African football.
Mane’s actions embodied the spirit of football and its values. The former Liverpool super star prioritised the integrity of the game and his country’s reputation over winning at all costs. His leadership went beyond the pitch, as he appealed for calm from furious fans and emphasised the importance of respecting the game, the finesse the Senegalese coach and his entire coaching staff missed in a fit of anger. This remarkable display of leadership has drawn comparisons to Robin Sharma’s ‘The Leader Who Had No Title’. Mane’s influence and selflessness have made him a hero in Senegal, and his legacy will extend far beyond this tournament.
Let’s explore further the fact that Sadio Mane’s leadership raises important questions for African elites and citizens. When will they take leadership positions without waiting for titles or appointments? When will Nigerian leaders and managers prioritise selflessness and calmness in crisis, like Mane did during the AFCON final?
Doubtless, many African leaders on all fronts often face criticism for prioritising power and self-interest over the greater good. Mane’s example challenges them to rethink their approach to leadership and management.
This development has provoked a useful question: ‘Where is the Sadio Mane in your team? In the world of leadership, titles are often seen as a prerequisite for influence. However, Sadio Mane’s remarkable display of leadership, in this regard has challenged this notion.
Here is the thing, as we reflect on Mane’s exemplary leadership, we must ask ourselves: What are we doing to inspire and motivate our teams and people in despair? Are we prioritising the greater good, or are we focused on personal gain? Are we willing to take risks and challenge the status quo? The Sadio Mane you need in your team is not just a person; it’s a mindset. It’s a willingness to lead, to take charge, and to put others first. It’s a commitment to excellence, integrity, and selflessness.
- Oloja is former editor of The Guardian newspaper and his column, Inside Stuff, runs on the back page of the newspaper on Sunday. The column appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Monday.