AFCON 2025: Tournament set to kick off in Morocco despite youth protests

Morocco will welcome the Africa Cup of Nations back to its soil on Sunday, December 21, staging the continent’s flagship football competition against a backdrop of heightened social awareness.

The tournament begins barely two months after waves of Gen Z-led protests swept through the country, with young Moroccans calling for improved education and healthcare systems, wider access to employment opportunities and greater social justice.

For Moroccan football fans, AFCON carries unresolved memories. The last time the competition was held in the kingdom, in 1988, the Atlas Lions endured a disappointing campaign that ended in heartbreak.

Playing in Casablanca on March 26, Morocco finished fourth after losing a third-place playoff to long-time rivals Algeria, who prevailed on penalties following a 1-1 draw. That outcome remains a painful chapter in the nation’s football history.

A chance for redemption on home soil was expected in 2015, but Morocco withdrew from hosting duties amid concerns over the Ebola outbreak and the risks associated with supporters travelling from affected regions.

The decision infuriated the Confederation of African Football and resulted in the tournament being reassigned to Equatorial Guinea, further delaying Morocco’s AFCON return.

Nearly four decades later, Africa’s biggest football event is back in Morocco. The hosts will open their campaign against Comoros on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat.

With Achraf Hakimi leading the side, and potentially returning from an ankle injury in time for the opener, Morocco enter the tournament as Africa’s top-ranked team and one of the favourites.

Currently ranked 11th in the FIFA world rankings and buoyed by their historic semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup, the Atlas Lions are targeting nothing less than the title as they seek to dethrone reigning champions Côte d’Ivoire.

Yet beyond the pursuit of football glory, AFCON 2025 unfolds under close public scrutiny, making this homecoming tournament about more than results on the pitch alone.