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Protests against Morocco’s government, partly fuelled by anger over massive spending on stadiums, will not affect the country’s plans to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent’s top football official said on Monday.
“Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B, and Morocco is plan C,” declared Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), when asked about the possibility of a venue change.
The North African nation is preparing to host the 24-team tournament, scheduled to begin on December 21, while simultaneously building the world’s largest football stadium as part of its preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Recent weeks have seen protests in more than a dozen Moroccan cities, led by a youth movement known as Gen Z 212, which has rallied around slogans such as “There are stadiums, but where are the hospitals?” Demonstrators have voiced frustration over high unemployment and underfunded public services. Their campaign has gained traction online, drawing support from Moroccan national team players including Sofyan Amrabat and Yassine Bounou.
Motsepe insisted that CAF had full confidence in Morocco’s ability to deliver “the most successful Africa Cup of Nations in the history of this competition,” and said the organisation was working closely with the government.
CAF’s first vice president, Fouzi Lekjaa — who also heads Morocco’s football federation and serves as a senior government adviser — is overseeing much of the $5 billion budget tied to World Cup–related projects.
Morocco was selected to host the 2025 AFCON after Guinea was stripped of its hosting rights. The country plans to use nine stadiums, including an expanded Grand Stade de Tanger (75,000 seats) and a renovated Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat (70,000 seats).
It is also constructing the 115,000-seat Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, expected to host the 2030 World Cup final.
The 2030 World Cup will feature 48 teams and open with matches in South America — in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay — before moving to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
