It is five days before the CAF Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco, the moment Africa begins to arrive is not at the stadium gates — but at the airport.
Stepping off a flight into Casablanca on Monday night, it is immediately clear that the country has entered AFCON mode. Before luggage belts, before immigration desks, before the familiar hum of arrivals halls, football announces itself.
Giant AFCON-branded footballs dominate the terminal. LED screens pulse with tournament colours. Slogans welcoming Africa flash across walls and walkways. From the moment fans land, Morocco’s airports are no longer just transit points — they are part of the competition itself.
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will kick-off in Rabat on Sunday with a Group A clash between hosts Morocco and Comoros that is the start of a four-week race to the title.
The match will kick-off at 8 p.m. Nigerian time and will be watched by a sold-out crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium as the country hosts the 35th edition of the tournament, the first time in 37 years.
With tens of thousands of supporters expected to pass through Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier, Fès and Agadir in the coming days, Morocco’s airport network has moved into full operational and celebratory mode ahead of the continent’s flagship tournament.
‘Welcome Football, Welcome Fans’
The transformation is part of a nationwide campaign launched by the National Airports Office (ONDA) under the theme “Welcome Football, Welcome Fans.”
In a statement, ONDA confirmed that Morocco’s airports are “fully ready to play their role as true gateways to celebrate the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations,” working closely with the Local Organising Committee and CAF.
Across arrival halls, AFCON-themed LED campaigns have been unfurled, immersive visuals guide fans through terminals, and giant installations — including symbolic footballs and tournament motifs — signal that the month ahead belongs to African football.
“It feels like the tournament starts the moment you land,” said Joseph Kabongo, a Congolese fan arriving from Kinshasa.
“You haven’t even stamped your passport yet, but already you feel the energy. It’s different from other tournaments.”
