 kicks off in Morocco, the moment Africa begins to arrive is not at the stadium gates, but at the airport.){kind=link}
Days before the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in Morocco, the moment Africa begins to arrive is not at the stadium gates, but at the airport.
Stepping off a flight into Casablanca, it is immediately clear that the country has entered AFCON mode. Before luggage belts, before immigration desks, before the familiar hum of arrivals halls, football announces itself.
Giant AFCON-branded footballs dominate the terminal. LED screens pulse with tournament colours. Slogans welcoming Africa flash across walls and walkways. From the moment fans land, Morocco’s airports are no longer just transit points — they are part of the competition itself.
The 2025 AFCON will kick-off in Rabat on Sunday with a Group A clash between hosts Morocco and Comoros that is the start of a four-week race to the title.
The match will kick-off at 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT) and will be watched by a sold-out crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, as the country hosts the 35th edition of the tournament, the first time in 37 years.
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With tens of thousands of supporters expected to pass through Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier, Fès and Agadir in the coming days, Morocco’s airport network has moved into full operational and celebratory mode ahead of the continent’s flagship tournament.
The transformation is part of a nationwide campaign launched by the National Airports Office (ONDA) under the theme “Welcome Football, Welcome Fans.”
In a statement, ONDA confirmed that Morocco’s airports are “fully ready to play their role as true gateways to celebrate the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations,” working closely with the Local Organising Committee and CAF.
Across arrival halls, AFCON-themed LED campaigns have been unfurled, immersive visuals guide fans through terminals, and giant installations — including symbolic footballs and tournament motifs — signal that the month ahead belongs to African football.
“It feels like the tournament starts the moment you land,” said Joseph Kabongo, a Congolese fan arriving from Kinshasa.
“You haven’t even stamped your passport yet, but already you feel the energy. It’s different from other tournaments.”
Airports upgraded for Africa’s biggest stage
Behind the scenes, the spectacle is supported by months of logistical planning and infrastructure upgrades.
Over the past year, Morocco has expanded airport capacity, modernised passenger flows, reinforced security procedures and deployed additional trained staff to manage the expected surge.
Authorities say the effort has involved multiple agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the Royal Gendarmerie, Customs, and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
Dedicated welcoming zones, multilingual signage, reinforced assistance teams and real-time operational monitoring systems are now in place, particularly in cities hosting AFCON matches.
For Abdulrahman Sule, a Nigerian fan arriving from Lagos, the message is clear.
“You know you’re in an AFCON country immediately,” he said. “The colours, the screens, the footballs — it’s telling you that Africa has gathered here.”
The journey begins on arrival
As flights continue to land and arrival halls fill with jerseys, flags and chants, one thing is clear: AFCON 2025 is already under way — not with a whistle, but with a welcome.
From giant footballs to glowing LED campaigns, Morocco’s airports have become the first stadiums of the tournament, offering supporters a promise — that this Africa Cup of Nations will be remembered from the very first step on Moroccan soil.