Day 26 (Monday, 12 January, 2026)
Welcome to Rabat
Rabat Awaits Nigeria’s Biggest AFCON Test
WELCOME to Rabat, the city by the Atlantic Ocean. This is where the Super Eagles are poised to face their biggest test so far at this 2025 AFCON in a semi-final match on Wednesday, January the 14th.
Morocco, Host Nation and a Fortress of Red
The opposition is formidable. Morocco. Host country. Desperate to be African Champions again for the first time since 1976, 50 years ago! Africa’s current number one on the FIFA Global rankings. Parading Paris Saint Germaine’s UEFA Champions League winner, Achraf Hakimi, current African Footballer of the Year. Also parading Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, current highest goal scorer at the AFCON 2025 tournament with five goals. 69,500 capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium venue expected to be decked fully in the blood red jerseys of the Atlas Lions. Deafening, absolutely ceaseless, deafening whistling from the Moroccan fans. Possible unkind or unfavorable refereeing. A totally intimidating atmosphere. These and more are what the Super Eagles will confront in Rabat on Wednesday.
Rabat: History, Capital Status and Sporting Significance
Rabat is the capital city of Morocco. It was founded in the 12th century, specifically in 1170 A.D. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and its medina is also listed as a World Heritage Site. When France established a protectorate over Morocco in 1912, Rabat became its administrative center. And when Morocco gained independence in 1956, Rabat became its capital.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 25: Marrakech Explorations, Media Encounters And Super Eagles’ March To Rabat
Today, despite its status as a capital city, Rabat is only the country’s seventh-largest city with an urban population of 580,000 going by a 2014 census. This is evidence that development is fairly well distributed amongst Moroccan cities and there isn’t urban-migration pressure on the capital city.
During this AFCON 2025, however, Rabat with three stadiums has hosted the highest number of matches. The largest of the three stadiums is the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah where Morocco have played all their matches and where they will face the Super Eagles.
Arrival Tales, Kindness and First Impressions
On arrival at the Rabat Ville Train Station from Marrakech, my team and I were whisked off in a mini blue taxi by a generous driver who offered to make a round trip to our hotel for the price of one trip because all four of us couldn’t fit into his cab at once with our luggage. This was in contrast to another driver who had tried to rip us off. Photographers Segun Ogunfeyitimi and Ganiyu Yusuf went with the kind cabbie first before he came back to pick James Agberebi and me. In appreciation of his kindness, I told Ganiyu to give him a generous tip.
Medina Living and Familiar Faces
Our accommodation is in the Rabat medina. After spending four days in downtown Marrakech, we were back where we started in Fez: in a medina in Rabat. Our host is Adil, a pleasant gentleman. He couldn’t come to pick us up at the train station himself because he wasn’t feeling well. We extended our sympathies.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 24: Super Eagles Are The Real Deal, Osimhen Shows Class, Algeria Lose Grace
We had hardly settled down in our apartment when we saw from the balcony, former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, walking past in the distance. What’s he doing here? “Sunny! Sunny!!,” I shouted but he was beyond earshot. Apparently, Oliseh is in town for the Eagles game on Wednesday. He has been working with the CAF technical committee as an analyst and covering all the games involving the Super Eagles.
Settling In and A Sense of Finality
Finally, we settled down. Adil handed over the keys to the apartment to Ganiyu and left. We had resolved that this would be our last accommodation in Morocco until we depart for Nigeria. We would commute from here and back if we have cause to go to Casablanca or anywhere else. Welcome to Rabat then, the city by the Atlantic Ocean.
Departure from Marrakech
Leaving Marrakech and an Unexpected Reunion
WE hard departed from Marrakech earlier in the day by leaving our ‘Nour 7’ apartment at 12noon sharp. The train station was only a five minutes walk away and we strolled in to buy our tickets for 200 Dirhams each. Behold, the delegation that we ran into was a splinter group of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club led by their President General Worldwide, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo. After an exchange of pleasantries and a group photograph, Dr. Ladipo took me to the Expresso Shop at the train station and we got talking over cups of coffee.
Supporters’ Politics, Recognition and Continental Influence
Last August, Dr. Ladipo had brought a band of the supporters club to drum and entertain guests at the launch of my autobiography at the University of Lagos. Now he is telling me about his nomination and election last Thursday in Casablanca as Patron of CASS, the Confederation Africaine Des Supporters Du Sport (Confederation of African Sports Supporters Club) by the executive bureau of the club.
Reportedly in attendance at the meeting were the president of CASS, Tany Gabou from Côte d’Ivoire, the general secretary Bahi Serge, Presidents of Supporters Clubs from Nigeria, Senegal and Mali as well as representatives from Burkina Faso and Morocco. CASS would be organizing an inaugural ‘Supporters Awards’ ceremony in March this year and Nigeria has been selected as the host country. Dr. Ladipo would like me to be involved in some capacity. I gave my word.
Train Conversations and AFCON Reflections
Presently, the boarding announcement was made for our 1.45pm train to Rabat. My team and I were in coach 24 on the train while Dr. Ladipo and his group were in coach 23. During the four-hour journey, I went over to say hello to him and, this time, we got talking about the Super Eagles at the AFCON and how their performance was ‘Whaoing’ everyone.
“The last time that the Super Eagles played the kind of football we’re seeing here in Morocco was more than 10 years ago at the 2013 AFCON in South Africa,” he told me. “Watching them gives me so much joy and I’m sure that if we get a fair officiating against Morocco in the semifinal, we will win hands down.” I couldn’t agree more.
As our train sped toward Rabat, I shared a story with Dr. Ladipo which he was very familiar with and he even added an interesting detail by the time I finished. Let me share the story with my readers as well for everyone, particularly young followers of Nigerian football, to see the historical drama that is about to play out again between Nigeria and Morocco in Rabat.
In 1980 when Nigeria hosted and won its first AFCON, Ghana, the defending 1978 Champions, played in Ibadan center against Morocco, Algeria and Guinea in a “Group of Death” as we used to describe difficult first round groups back in the day. Nigeria played in the Lagos center against Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and Egypt.
Nigerian fans did not want our bitter rivals Ghana to emerge as a qualifier from Ibadan, so the fans supported Morocco to beat Ghana 1-0 in their last group game, and Ghana were eliminated. Morocco proceeded to Lagos for the semi-final where an early goal from the left foot of Felix Owolabi (“Owo Blow!”) gave Nigeria a narrow 1-0 victory.
Forty-five years later at this 2025 AFCON, we are witnessing exactly a similar scenario. Host country Morocco did not want their bitter rivals Algeria to qualify from the quarterfinals in Marrakech, so they supported Nigeria to beat Algeria 2-0. Algeria were eliminated and now Nigeria will face Morocco in a repeat of the 1980 semi-final in Rabat. What a big coincidence this is.
Dr. Ladipo remembers the 1980 episode very well. He was the flag bearer for the ‘Green Eagles’ each time they emerged from the tunnel at the National Stadium in Lagos. “Of course, I remember very well the episode in Ibadan that you have just narrated,” he told me.
“Ghana’s goalkeeper was Joseph Carr and he used to wear a face cap that we felt was giving him supernatural powers, so we hatched a plan to remove it. As the Ghanaian players came out for the second half, one of our members, Deacon Oshinubi, jumped on Joseph Carr and removed his cap from his head. He and his teammates chased after Oshinubi and retrieved the cap but we felt that we had broken his spell anyway. Morocco beat the Ghanaians 1-0 and that was how the Black Stars were eliminated. Deacon Oshinubi is dead now. May God rest his soul.”
What goes around comes around, says the popular adage. In 1980, Nigerians ‘conspired’ with Morocco to eliminate Ghana, and Nigeria went on to face Morocco in the semifinals in Lagos. This is 2025, Moroccans ‘conspired’ with Nigeria to eliminate Algeria and now Morocco will face Nigeria in Rabat on Wednesday.
Presently, our train arrive in Rabat. My team and Dr. Ladipo’s team went our separate ways to locate our accommodation. We would meet again at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdullah for the Nigeria-Morocco clash on Wednesday. Obviously, we’re expecting a similar outcome that we had in 1980 when Nigeria emerged victorious.
Algeria Protest
THE major news coming out of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) today, Monday, January the 12th, is about the petition filed by the Algerian Football Federation against Senegalese referee Issa Sy over his handling of their quarterfinal match against Nigeria. The Algerians said in their statement that CAF “cannot ignore the refereeing performance observed during the match which raised numerous questions and caused considerable confusion,” they alleged.
Mark Gleeson, a South African journalist (I’ve known Mark since 1993) who reported the story for Reuters, put the Algerian complaint in perspective when he added the following analysis: “Algeria’s Federation on Monday confirmed it had filed a complaint with CAF over the performance of referee Issa Sy from Senegal in a one-sided match in which Algeria were roundly beaten by Nigeria. Such complaints, however, are common in African football, notably from losing teams as federations seek to temper the dissatisfaction of their fans and blame defeat on refereeing errors.”
Search for the key words in that report: “Roundly beaten!” End of discussion.
Meanwhile, CAF have launched their own investigations into the ugly scenes that occurred in the Algeria-Nigeria match in Marrakech as well as the Morocco-Cameroun game in Rabat. CAF said in a statement that it has referred the matters to its Disciplinary Board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if identified persons (based on video evidence) were found guilty of any wrongdoing.” I knew that this was coming. CAF have the knife and they have the yam. The Algerians should brace up for some heavy fines.
Eagles Begin Preparations
THE Super Eagles arrived in Rabat on schedule on Monday afternoon and got down to business immediately. A training session was held at Mohammed VI football complex at 9.00pm on Monday to prepare for a 9.00pm kickoff time against Morocco. There was no report of any new injuries and captain Wilfred Ndidi, who is suspended from the semifinal, is already on his feet following his hamstring injury against Algeria. He might yet be able to return for the final if Nigeria gets there.
Meanwhile, Coach Eric Chelle and midfielder Alex Iwobi will be addressing the media at the mandatory pre-match conference at 11.30am on Tuesday. I’m looking forward to asking Iwobi a question or two about his new-found form that has created lots of goals for the Super Eagles at this tournament.
Match Tickets At a Premium
I MET Sylvester at the train station in Marrakech as we prepared to leave for Rabat. He is from Delta State and he relocated to Istanbul, Turkey in 2015. His wife, also a Nigerian, lives in Germany.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 21: Super Eagles Strike Scare, Farewell To Fez And Morocco’s Algeria Obsession
Sylvester came to Morocco to support the Super Eagles at the AFCON. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get match tickets online because they were ‘sold out.’ He had no option but to buy from the Black Market. The quarterfinal ticket for Algeria-Nigeria cost him 200 Euros while the semifinal ticket for Nigeria-Morocco cost 350 Euros. He doesn’t know yet how much he would have to pay for a ticket to watch the final.
This is how expensive match tickets for the AFCON have become. What a privilege to be an accredited journalist.
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By Mumini Alao, in Rabat
Photos by Ganiyu Yusuf
1 Comment
Nigeria – Morocco on our minds.
Nigerians and Moroccans can’t wait for the final whistle to be blasted, and what the score board reads.
If the Nigerian side wins, I would wish that you get in touch with your hosts in Fez, asking them how they feel. Recall that in your parting banter, the husband replied you upon being asked, to wait for the outcome before comments…Laughter!
On another lighter note, if tickets were sold for 200 and 350 Euros for quarter and semi – final matches respectively, I predict that the grand match ticket in black markets can’t be less than between 500 and 750 Euros!