The African Cup in Morocco: African football offers an unprecedented luxury

The traditional image of delegations crossing paths in hotel lobbies belongs to the past. For this edition, the Moroccan organization has deployed an unprecedented system: each qualified nation has its own private headquarters. This measure aims to guarantee total isolation and optimal concentration, reproducing the logistical conditions of a European Championship or a World Cup. Beyond accommodation, this exclusivity extends to sports facilities, with each residence being coupled with a training center located in the immediate vicinity to limit travel time and promote recovery.

This deployment represents a considerable operational challenge. Managing 24 autonomous base camps involves simultaneously coordinating the security, catering, and media flows of 24 distinct entities. A requirement that also applies to the stadiums: for the first time, no venue will host two matches on the same day, breaking with the practice of "double confrontations" frequent in previous editions.

This logistical architecture was set well in advance. It was last January, in Rabat, that the distribution of the camps was carried out through a draw in the presence of the coaches. While Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, stresses that this system should not be confused with the pharaonic plans for the 2030 World Cup, the stated objective is to immediately raise the level of service to the highest international standards.