Following a €70 million revamp, the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat will be the setting on Sunday night for the opening game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, at which tournament hosts Morocco will take on Comoros.
Morocco enter the 35th edition of Africa's most prestigious football competition riding high on a world record 18-match winning streak, stretching back to March 2024. They are also Africa's top team in the Fifa world rankings.
Walid Regragui's squad will need to see off the likes of Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and defending champions Cote d'Ivoire to lift the trophy.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, fresh from thwarting Cameroon and Nigeria at November's African World Cup play-offs – and before they head to Mexico for the World Cup inter-continental play-offs next March – will also be contenders.
"I have two wishes," said 50-year-old Regragui, who played for the Morocco side that lost to Tunisia in the 2004 Cup of Nations final.
"One is that many people will visit our beautiful land for the Cup of Nations, and the second is that Morocco are crowned champions."
Protests over costs
The home side have a plum site in which to bid for their second title since the inception of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1957.
The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was built in two years on the plot of a previous arena, boasting state of the art media and broadcast facilities, a 360-degree wind-shielding roof and expanded VIP and hospitality areas.
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However, the cost of the stadium – as well as other infrastructure for the Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup – has caused a backlash in the country.
Gen Z-led demonstrations spread throughout Morocco in the autumn, with protesters railing against spending on such projects instead of investment in health, education and job creation.
"This often happens when citizens witness substantial public investment in stadiums and event-related infrastructure, while experiencing persistent challenges related to employment, housing, public services and regional inequality," said Mahfoud Amara, associate professor in sport management at Qatar University.
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"Although the dominant discourse promoted by host governments and international sport governing bodies emphasises long-term development, urban regeneration and job creation, these benefits tend to be unevenly distributed," he continued.
"Employment opportunities are frequently short-term, concentrated in specific cities, and largely confined to the construction phase, disappearing before or shortly after the event itself."
However, he added: "Morocco’s case is somewhat different. The stadiums being built are not only for the Africa Cup of Nations but are also part of a longer-term strategy linked to co-hosting the Fifa World Cup. This means that the investments are framed as multi-event and multi-decade rather than tied to a single tournament."
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Defending champions
Cote D'Ivoire go into the month-long event with a notable omission. Simon Adingra, deemed best young player of the 2023 tournament, will not be part of coach Emerse Faé's 26-man squad.
"Simon is struggling to earn a starting spot at Sunderland and we will have to do without his qualities," said Faé.
Wilfred Zaha, though, returns. The 33-year-old, who plays for Major League Soccer club Charlotte in the United States, was left out of the side that won the country's third Cup of Nations trophy two years ago at the competition in Cote d'Ivoire.
"We need experienced players," added Faé. "With Zaha, his ability to beat defenders and his current form worked in his favour."
Cote d'Ivoire will launch the defence of their crown on 24 December against Mozambique in Marrakesh. They will take on Cameroon four days later in the same city and finish their Group F campaign on 31 December against Gabon.
The final will take place at the same venue as tonight's opening match on 18 January.
