It’s been a long road for Morocco in the African Cup of Nations.
The last time they hosted the tournament in 1988, they fell just short, losing by a single goal in the semi-finals to Cameroon, who went on to claim the title.
Even before that, Nigeria had edged Morocco in a semi-final eight years earlier, also by a solitary goal, on its way to lifting the trophy.
Fast forward to today, Sunday, 18 January 2025, and Morocco is back in the AFCON final, this time facing Senegal in Rabat after overcoming historic obstacles in the quarter and semi-finals.
A stadium steeped in history
The final will take place at Rabat’s Moulay Abdallah Stadium, a venue named in memory of King Hassan II’s brother, who passed away far too young in 1983.
The stadium itself carries stories that mirror the journey of Moroccan football: a blend of national pride, historical memory, and the love of the beautiful game.
Football as Africa’s rebellious game
David Goldblatt, in The Age of Football: The Global Game in the Twenty-First Century, reminds us that football in Africa was never just a sport.
Despite its colonial origins, it became a tool of independence and pan-African unity, a platform to assert identity and resist domination.
African football earned its reputation as “the rebellious game,” and the AFCON final embodies that spirit, pitting two countries with rich footballing traditions against each other under the watchful eye of CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
From colonial fields to modern spectacles
It’s remarkable to think that the first official football game in Africa, played in 1862 between colonial bureaucrats and soldiers in South Africa, excluded Africans entirely.
Today, centuries later, two teams representing deeply rooted footballing nations are playing for continental glory, while a black African billionaire presides over the ceremonies.
Patrice Motsepe’s role is symbolic of the journey of African football from exclusion to global leadership.
Senegal and Morocco: legacies of organized football
Senegal boasts one of Africa’s oldest football institutions, ASC Jeanne d’Arc, founded in 1923 by French missionaries in Dakar.
Initially a colonial effort to mold “fit young men,” it inadvertently sowed seeds of resistance.
Morocco’s football story took root later but was no less passionate.
Wydad Club in Casablanca, founded in 1937, and its working-class rival Raja Club Athletic, founded in 1949, emerged as centers of community, identity, and resistance against French colonial rule.
These clubs weren’t just about sport—they were about culture, politics, and pride.
Football and anti-colonial resistance
North Africa’s history shows just how political the game could be.
Egypt’s Al Ahly, founded in 1907, was an emblem of nationalism, created in the shadow of colonial oppression, while Algeria’s football clubs became clandestine centers of resistance during the struggle for independence.
The FLN team in 1958 demonstrated that football could also serve as diplomacy and nation-building, long before these nations were independent.
Stars like Rachid Mekhloufi weren’t merely athletes—they were symbols of a larger fight for freedom.
AFCON’s unique place in African hearts
These long-standing traditions make the AFCON more than a sporting event.
It’s a cultural institution, a celebration of African identity, and a reminder of how the game has been intertwined with history, politics, and community.
Unlike other competitions dominated by commercial interests, AFCON carries the stories of struggle, resistance, and pride.
Challenges ahead for the African game
Yet, even AFCON is not immune to the pressures of modern football.
FIFA’s decision to alter the tournament schedule to every four years, ostensibly to align with European leagues, has drawn criticism from managers and fans alike.
The irony is striking: a competition born from anti-colonial resistance now bending to global commercial forces it once opposed.
What’s next?
As Morocco and Senegal prepare to battle in Rabat, the match is more than a game.
It’s a continuation of a journey that began over a century ago, a reflection of history, identity, and resilience, and a chance for Africa to celebrate football on its own terms.
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