Real Reason Nigeria Lost 2025 AFCON Bid To Morocco

In a decisive announcement made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Morocco has been awarded the prestigious honor of hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The joint bid by Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, which had sparked hopes and anticipation among football enthusiasts, ultimately fell short in the race.

The verdict was delivered during a voting session conducted by the CAF committee, presided over by its President, Patrice Motsepe, at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Cairo. Morocco clinched the hosting rights with an overwhelming 22 votes, leaving their contenders, including Algeria (who had reportedly withdrawn from the race a few months ago), without a single vote.

Morocco’s victory can be attributed to its substantial investments in sporting infrastructure over the past two decades, boasting world-class stadiums and a track record of successfully hosting various African and international football tournaments. Recent events like the Women’s AFCON and the U-23 AFCON had already established Morocco as a preferred destination for football competitions.

This announcement came after CAF found the need for a new host in 2025 following the removal of Guinea as the host in October of the previous year due to concerns about the readiness of facilities.

Notably, no vote was required as other contenders, including Algeria, Zambia, and the joint bid from Nigeria and Benin Republic, all withdrew their bids, leaving Morocco as the sole contender.

For Morocco, this victory is a significant boost to their aspirations of co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain. Motsepe had emphasized the importance of the successful replacement host for Guinea, focusing on factors such as transportation, logistics, quality hotels, and state-of-the-art stadiums.

However, this decision seemed to work against Nigeria and Benin, as Ivory Coast, another West African nation, is already scheduled to host the next edition of AFCON in the following year.

Nigeria’s bid was led by Senator John Owan Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development, and representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Nigeria, which has previously hosted AFCON in 1980 and co-hosted in 2000, entered the race with optimism but left disappointed in Cairo when Morocco emerged as the victor.

In reaction to Nigeria’s unsuccessful bid, Hon. Ekene Adams Abubakar, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, expressed reservations about the timing of the bid. He argued that given the current economic challenges facing the nation, hosting AFCON should not be a top priority, as it primarily benefits stakeholders and politicians rather than the common people.

Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh, Chairman of the 2010 AFCON Bid Committee, expressed disappointment in Nigeria’s repeated failure to secure hosting rights. He questioned whether the present bid team had done enough to present a strong case to CAF and urged the government to scrutinize the bidding process.

While the disappointment of losing the bid is palpable, some, like former Katsina State Director of Sports Aliyu Kofar-Soro, see a silver lining. They believe that redirecting the funds that would have been used for organizing the championship towards projects that benefit citizens might be a more prudent choice given Nigeria’s economic challenges.