Africa Cup beats media records, despite criticism

The Africa Cup of Nation 2025 (AFCON) has broken media records, with 5,400 accreditation demands, from international media outlets, reports Moroccan government-friendly outlet HESPRESS on January 1st.

Representing African football’s increasing popularity, there are now over 3,800 journalists covering the competition, which is broadcast in all 54 African states as well as 30 countries across Europe.

The AFCON is hosted by Morocco this year, with games played in stadiums across the country in Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Fez and Casablanca. Attendance records have also been broken, with almost 110,000 tickets sold in France alone. Close to 730,000 supporters have reportedly attended the games so far in the nine stadiums, which is more than the previous edition of the competition. The tournament has been widely hailed as a success so far, with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino praising Morocco as the host country. The competition serves as a formidable boost to Morocco’s economy and tourism industry, with reports indicating an additional 500,000 to one million visitors from foreign countries due to the competition. Morocco has performed well in the competition far, finishing first in its group.

However, critics have brought up the fact that just months ago, the country’s youth were demonstrating in the streets, calling for better education and healthcare, as well as more dignified living standards. The stadiums built and renovated ahead of the AFCON and the upcoming 2030 World Cup represent massive investments in infrastructure, for spaces that are unlikely to be used by a large proportion of the Moroccan population who either live away from urban centres or cannot afford the tickets.

In addition, thousands of households in Morocco reportedly moved further out of city centres to make space for large developments, creating a gentrification effect. It is expected that in Casablanca alone, roughly 16,000 families will have to move out of the old medina. The GenZ 212 protesters had called for the competition to be boycotted, noting that while they supported their national team, football will not distract them from their ongoing fight for dignity.

HESPRESS, Le360 Sport, Afrique XXI, Maghrebi.org