Caf President Patrice Motsepe delivered a strong message about Morocco’s place in the world of football during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi yesterday, saying: “Morocco deserves respect.”
Motsepe used the summit to highlight Morocco’s growing impact on African and global football, commending the country’s ability to organize major tournaments and strengthen the continent’s image on the international stage.
Motsepe made his remarks before Kenyan President William Ruto, French President Emmanuel Macron, over 30 African heads of state, international institutions, and nearly 7,000 innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors.
He pointed to the impressive global reach of the 2025 Afcon in Morocco. According to figures presented during the summit, the tournament attracted nearly 2.5 billion television viewers worldwide, generated 6.2 billion digital interactions, and reached audiences across 118 countries. The event also reportedly contributed around $2 billion (MAD 18.2M) dollars to the Moroccan economy.
Motsepe said those figures are proof that African football continues to grow both commercially and globally. He credited Morocco’s infrastructure, organization, and investment in football for helping African competitions gain greater international visibility.
The Caf president also revisited the historic journey of the Morocco national football team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Motsepe said the Atlas Lions’ achievement changed the way the world views African football and gave pride to the entire continent.
Looking ahead, Motsepe expressed confidence in the success of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. He assured stakeholders that preparations are progressing well and said the tournament would continue Africa’s rise on the global football stage.
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