CAN 2025: "No atmosphere", the outburst of Hugo Broos against the Moroccan organization

For Hugo Broos, the contrast is striking. Accustomed to the warmth of African crowds, especially during previous editions in Gabon or Ivory Coast, he paints a bitter picture from Marrakech. According to him, the "magic" of the CAN is not taking place this year. He regrets the absence of signs of enthusiasm in the streets, noting that no one greets the team bus and that flags are scarce. "I don’t feel the typical CAN atmosphere here, it’s cold," he said on Sunday, regretting that one does not really feel immersed in a major tournament.

Several factors seem to explain this gloom, starting with appalling weather. Heavy rains have been falling on the Kingdom since the start of the competition, exceptionally moved to the winter to avoid competing with the FIFA Club World Cup. But beyond the gray sky, Broos points the finger at the management of fan flows. While the stadiums are magnificent, they often sound hollow. The coach complained of the "chaos" during the match against Egypt, where the opening of the doors to spectators without tickets ended up blocking access to those who had paid for their seats.

Even the host country’s matches are not spared from controversy. Although Morocco’s matches are announced as sold out, many seats remain unoccupied, a direct consequence of ticket resellers’ grip on ticketing that frustrates true fans. For his match this Monday against Zimbabwe, Broos is pessimistic about the turnout: "If they don’t let people in for free, there will be no one," he predicted, stressing that without the improvised free admission, the stands would remain desperately empty for matches not involving the Atlas Lions.