Dr Cleo Jay: The AFCON, a fantastic display of soft power for Morocco

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been a resounding success for its host Morocco so far, with visitors gushing about the modern stadiums, the comfortable hotels, the ease of transport, and of course the legendary Moroccan hospitality. The soft power gain for Morocco is immense: already a popular tourist destination, it has now upgraded its image as a beacon of modernity in Africa, while keeping its well-loved traditions and heritage. Of course, it helps that the Moroccan team has met expectations, reaching the finals after beating Nigeria on January 14th.

The scenes of happiness spread across Morocco as soon as the game ended, with a winning penalty from Youssef En-Nesyri even resonating with the Moroccan diaspora across Europe. If Morocco does end up winning the African Cup, it will have performed a flawless performance, both on the pitch and in diplomatic circles. The young Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and his sister Lalla Khadija were even pictured attending the games, wearing their Morocco shirts as any other youth.

Morocco has long relied on soft power to strengthen its diplomatic position, leveraging its popular culture to maintain an attractive image.

The returns have been so positive that it would be easy to forget that, mere months ago, the country’s Gen Z were in the streets, protesting for better healthcare and education. The protests, the largest in years, were sparked by the deaths of eight pregnant women in Agadir’s Hassan II state hospital, reflecting the poor treatment and care Moroccans receive when they cannot afford a private clinic. The healthcare system has been deteriorating for years with a chronic lack of investment, especially in poorer areas.

While they had originally started as largely peaceful demonstrations in late September, the lack of response from the government led to frustrated youths resorting to violence and looting, and the movement quickly spread across the country. The protesters chanted “Freedom, dignity and social justice” as the focus of the movement moved to wider political demands, echoing those of the Arab Spring protests in 2011.

As the AFCON preparations were under way, placards denounced the double standards of the Moroccan government choosing to invest billions in stadiums and infrastructure but not in hospitals. The stark contrast between the shiny buildings and the chronically underfunded hospitals could not have been greater, highlighting the fact that despite Morocco’s economy doing relatively well, the benefits do not trickle down to the most vulnerable communities in rural and suburban areas.

The state responded strongly, with thousands of arrests reported, and several deaths. Shockingly, three protesters were killed in the eastern city of Oujda, and videos circulated online showed a police van ramming into people and running over them.

The Moroccan justice then dealt severely with the protesters, handing out sentences of up to 15 years in jail. Reportedly, 1,400 people were prosecuted, including dozens of minors, with charges of revolt, violence against security forces or inciting others to commit crimes. Moroccan civil society groups, such as the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH), denounced the situation, noting that some of the accused had been forced to make confessions “under duress”.

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Despite this, the show must go on, and Morocco amazed the world with a spectacular opening ceremony in December 2025, in the brand new Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat, built at a reported cost of $75 million. The ceremony presented a united African identity, while anchoring Morocco in its position as the host. This success was the result of years of lobbying for Morocco to host the AFCON and the World Cup (which it will co-host in 2030 with Spain and Portugal). These major events, watched by billions across the globe, are a huge opportunity for Morocco to raise its profile, not just culturally, but also diplomatically.

Morocco has long relied on soft power to strengthen its diplomatic position, leveraging its popular culture to maintain an attractive image, with tourist brochures showing traditional arts and crafts, the Mawazine music festival in Rabat, or the Marrakech film festival, drawing international stars every year. ‘Soft power’, in the words of political scientist Joseph Nye who coined the term, is a country’s ability to use its “resources of culture, values, and policies” to increase its influence on the global stage, and Morocco has certainly become an expert of this over the last 25 years.

These cultural events are an important part of its efforts to build the image of a modern, tolerant and politically stable Kingdom, the ideal partner in a region often marked by instability. Those efforts have paid off: Morocco attracts significant foreign investments and has built strong partnerships with Europe and the US, as well as the Arab World, but it has also heavily invested in the West Africa banking sector. There is no doubt that this strategy has also weighted into Morocco’s recent win at the UN Security Council over the Western Sahara issue, against Algeria, which is looking increasingly isolated.

Whatever the outcome of the final, as the Atlas Lions face the Senegalese Lions of Teranga, Moroccans have already won, proving once again that they deserve their reputation as a hospitable, welcoming and dignified people. But as the competition folds up, it is time for the Moroccan government and the Makhzen ( the deep state) to put away their football shirts and get on with their main mission: finally giving Moroccans the respect they deserve and the investments the country desperately needs.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Maghrebi.org. Dr Cleo Jay is the Opinion editor of Maghrebi.org who earned her PhD from SOAS, University of London. She is also an independent researcher and writer specialized in North African culture as well as politics.

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