African fans are the real winners even as Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco reach the AFCON semis
With the Africa Cup of Nations drawing to a close, fans across the continent displayed unity, while host nation Morocco exemplified this by welcoming guests and promoting coexistence.
Since the Africa Cup of Nations or AFCON began in Morocco, the tournament has extended far beyond the stadium walls, fostering messages of love and unity among African fans from across the continent.
Morocco has garnered acclaim for hosting what fans are hailing as a standout AFCON on the continent.
On the pitch, 24 teams competed in the biennial tournament. Off the pitch, fan zones across Morocco brought the tournament to life through live-watch parties, music events, and other activities and celebrations.
Security was paramount inside stadiums, where fans keenly supported their teams, occasionally cheering for other nations too.
Ahead of the round of 16, players from three nations—Tunisia, Mali, and Burkina Faso—visited a Casablanca mosque to attend Friday prayers.
The imam is said to have preached about coexistence and condemned racism.
The Tunisian national team shared the moment on their X account to raise awareness.
"The Tunisian, Malian, and Burkinabe national teams prayed Salat Al-Jumu'ah together at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca today," Noussour said on X. Noussour means "Eagles" in Arabic, a nickname for the Tunisian national team.
For years, the Man of the Match trophy had remained largely unchanged, but the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) and title sponsor TotalEnergies have redesigned the prize.
The organisers say the the trophy is "designed to symbolise unity, diversity, and African football’s growing global stature" and is composed of 24 radiant beams, each representing one of the 24 nations competing in the finals.
Even the AFCON's logo, inspired by Moroccan "zellij", a modern and iconic symbol for African football, celebrates the heritage and unity of the African continent.
Moroccans bonding with guests
Throughout the tournament, Moroccan fans displayed warmth and unity towards all supporters.
Egyptian YouTuber Marwan Serry, who was vlogging his journey to Agadir, Morocco, expressed surprise upon discovering that Moroccan fans were attending Egypt's matches during the group stages and actively supporting the Egyptian team.
In other scenes, Moroccan fans were seen standing side by side with Burkinabe fans on the same side of the stadium, waving both flags and dancing.
Tunisia's head coach, Sami Trabelsi, paid tribute to Morocco for their hospitality and warm welcome.
Commentator Issam Chaouali, popular in the Arab world, called the organisation "World Cup-level."
Typically, fans travel to stadiums to watch games live. However, on this occasion, Morocco provided fan zones where supporters gathered to view live matches.
But that wasn't all.
Fan zones enabled a meeting point for fans across Africa to share traditions, experiences, and connect with the continent's cultural richness.
These areas also allowed supporters to bring the tournament to life in public spaces, enjoy local music and dance, and take part in football activities.
"AFCON is different because Africa is different. It is a celebration of talent, pride and identity, where culture and football come together in full colour," says CAF.
All eyes on semi-finals
With the tournament uniting Africans, all eyes are now on the January 14 semi-finals in which Egypt will face Senegal, and Nigeria will play Morocco.
Egypt still reign supreme with a record seven AFCON titles, while Nigeria have three titles, winning the last in 2013.
Senegal and Morocco each hold one title; the Lions of Teranga secured their victory in 2021, whereas the Lions of Atlas achieved theirs in 1976.