Algerian striker Islam Slimani has heaped praise on Morocco’s organisation of the Africa Cup of Nations, describing the conditions his team experienced as a major step up from past tournaments.
His comments highlight how Morocco’s investment in infrastructure has set a new standard for football in Africa.
Slimani explained that in previous AFCON editions, including the 2015 tournament, players often stayed in hotels that were still under construction, with only one floor ready for use. He recalled that such conditions, combined with extreme heat and poor pitches that deteriorated after the first match, were far from worthy of international players.
In a long-form interview on the “Colinterview” podcast, the forward contrasted those experiences with what he lived in Morocco, where the organisation, facilities, and cooler climate made a huge difference. He said the overall environment in Morocco felt “closer to Europe than to Africa,” underlining how far the country has progressed in hosting major events.
Slimani noted that at this AFCON there were no badly damaged pitches, no punishing midday kickoffs in 40-degree heat, and that match schedules and logistics respected player welfare. He stressed that Morocco “raised the bar” in an unprecedented way, and that this success should be a model for future continental competitions.
He also pointed to Morocco’s training centres and transport arrangements as proof of a genuine organisational shift, allowing teams to prepare in truly professional conditions.
In his view, this edition of AFCON has proven that Morocco is capable of hosting the biggest sporting events, and he described the tournament’s organisation as a “source of pride for all Arabs, not just Moroccans.”
