African soccer leader says Morocco street protests do not affect Cup of Nations plans
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Street protests against Morocco’s government, provoked in part by spending on stadiums, will not change plans for the Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s top soccer official said Monday.
Morocco — which is building the world’s biggest soccer stadium to co-host the men’s World Cup in 2030 — has seen demonstrations this month in more than a dozen cities by young activists.
“Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B and Morocco is plan C,” Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe said at a news conference after its annual meeting, when asked about changing tournament plans.
Chants of “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” have been heard at protests driven by an online collective called Gen Z 212, named after the country’s dialing code.
They are protesting what they say is lack of opportunity and underfunded health and education systems, and were supported in social media posts by national team players, including Sofyan Amrabat and Yassine Bounou.
The north African nation hosts the four-week, 24-team Cup of Nations from Dec. 21 for CAF, whose president was asked Monday if plans or dates could change.
“We are absolutely confident that we will as CAF cooperate, work together with the government … and all the people of Morocco to host the most successful (Cup of Nations) in the history of this competition,” Motsepe said.
Motsepe’s first vice president at CAF is Fouzi Lekjaa, Morocco’s soccer leader and a financial adviser to the government, which is providing some of the projected $5 billion spending on projects related to the World Cup.
Morocco’s new stadiums
Morocco was picked by CAF two years ago to replace Guinea as host of the 2025 tournament and will use nine venues, including expanding a 75,000-seat venue now called Grade Stade de Tangier, and renovating Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat to 70,000 seats.
Morocco is building the 115,000-seat Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which it hopes will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup being co-hosted with Spain and Portugal.
The 48-team tournament will start with some games hosted by South American neighbors Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original World Cup host in 1930.
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