Morocco has been announced as the host of the continent’s biggest soccer showcase, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 edition.
Meanwhile, a joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda has been picked for the 2027th edition of tournament.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced the news following an Executive Committee meeting in Cairo.
The CAF needed a new host for 2025 after Guinea was stripped of the rights in October last year due to fears about the readiness of facilities.
No vote was required as a joint bid from Nigeria and Benin, as well as candidacies from Algeria and Zambia, were all withdrawn leaving Morocco as the only contender.
It means the North African country is on track to stage the tournament for the second time after first doing so in 1988.
Morocco has unsuccessfully bid for the FIFA World Cup five times and is part of a three-way effort for the 2030 event alongside Spain and Portugal.
Landing the AFCON will be seen as a boost to that candidacy, with Motsepe saying the other countries in the frame for 2025 largely withdrew in support of the World Cup ambitions and “African unity”.
However, newly elected Algerian Football Federation President Walid Sadi pulled his country out during a televised address, saying the move was motivated by a “new approach to the football development strategy in Algeria”.
-InSideTheGames
