As the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco came to an end, the 2025 tournament has already set itself apart from previous editions, both on the pitch and in the stands, with strong attendance figures and a high standard of organisation.
Despite challenging weather conditions, Morocco provided stadiums of excellent quality, allowing the 36 group-stage matches, spread across nine venues, to be played under favorable conditions. This contributed to an improved footballing product and offered fans a series of high-intensity encounters, including Cameroon’s clash with Côte d’Ivoire in Marrakech, Tunisia versus Nigeria in Fez, and Senegal against DR Congo in Tangier.
A smart distribution of matches across the designated AFCON stadiums, avoiding the overuse of the same pitches as seen in past editions, ensured optimal playing conditions. This encouraged attacking football from African teams, reflected in a total of 87 goals scored during the group stage, averaging more than two goals per match.
The high quality of the playing surfaces was matched by the standard of supporting facilities, which in turn boosted fan attendance in the stands, both in terms of record-breaking figures and the presence in VIP areas. Unlike the editions hosted by Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire, AFCON Morocco 2025 shattered attendance records not only during matches involving the host nation, which drew between 62,000 and 63,000 spectators, but also across other group-stage fixtures.
In Agadir, for example, the match between Egypt and South Africa attracted over 40,000 spectators, an unprecedented figure for a group-stage game involving a non-host team. Similarly, at the Moulay Hassan and Olympic stadiums in Rabat, strong crowd support played a key role in backing Algeria and Tunisia during the group phase.
Total group-stage attendance exceeded 700,000 spectators, compared to 643,000 in the previous edition. Matches involving the Algerian national team at Moulay Hassan Stadium were marked by high-profile attendance, including French football icon Zinedine Zidane, who followed his son’s performances as goalkeeper for Algeria. Club legend Rabah Madjer and internationally renowned artist Cheb Khaled were also spotted in the VIP stands with their families.
Morocco’s organization of AFCON 2025 has attracted numerous celebrities to the stadiums. During matches of the Moroccan national team, French star Kylian Mbappé, now with Real Madrid, attended the fixture against Mali. The presence was not limited to football figures, as prominent names from the worlds of art and comedy, including Jamel Debbouze, comedian Booder, and actress Nora Fatehi, were also seen in the stands.
In Marrakech, Mbappé was again spotted attending a group-stage match involving Cameroon, alongside fellow French internationals Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid and Jules Koundé of FC Barcelona. Cameroon’s matches also drew legendary figures such as Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o, the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation.
As the tournament progresses into its decisive knockout stages, AFCON 2025 is expected to become an even more prominent destination for figures from sports, entertainment, and politics, supported by Morocco’s strong infrastructure and tightly managed organizational framework.
Beyond organization and attendance, the broadcast image delivered to viewers worldwide has been of unprecedented quality. Morocco deployed advanced technical capabilities never before used in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, significantly enhancing the global viewing experience.
In this context, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation enlisted two international experts in television direction to elevate the tournament’s visual production to the standards of the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. One of them is Laurent Lachon, 62, a leading figure in sports broadcasting who previously worked with Canal+ and FIFA, and directed the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina using more than 40 cameras within a highly complex technical setup.
During AFCON 2025, Lachon has served as technical advisor to the federation, directly overseeing television production to ensure optimal match coverage, with a focus on cutting-edge innovations, image quality, and camera angles. Alongside him is François Lenôtre, a pillar of European sports television direction, with extensive experience at beIN Sports and the M6 Group, and involvement in major matches during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups under FIFA.
The duo, who have previously collaborated on high-profile UEFA Champions League fixtures such as Paris Saint-Germain versus Real Madrid, brought their combined expertise to the continental tournament. For the first time in AFCON history, the 2025 edition has adopted 4K HDR broadcasting, marking a major technological leap for African football.
While previous editions, including AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire, were limited to standard HD, the Morocco edition has delivered ultra-high-definition images with unprecedented color depth. Digital platforms such as TOD, which has expanded its presence in the Moroccan market, offered live 4K broadcasts with advanced interactive features, including automated highlights and personalized match and team lists.
International broadcasters, including the UK’s Channel 4, ensured wide global coverage of the tournament, yet Morocco’s technical signature remained the defining feature. This qualitative leap allows viewers to capture the finest details, from players’ expressions to the movement of the ball and the pulse of the crowd, thanks to high dynamic range (HDR) technology.
