"We are now a few days removed from Senegal's dramatic win at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations. I made the trip to Morocco to experience my first Afcon, and it didn't disappoint. The tournament, especially the final, had the sporting world talking for better or worse. From the iconography on display in the stands to the histrionics of those final moments in Rabat, and what it all means for Morocco's grand events strategy,"
"Morocco's broader strategy is to demonstrate to global players, such as Fifa, that they are capable of hosting high-profile sporting events. At Afcon, they were out to prove a point. It was evident as soon as I walked through Mohammed V airport, where passengers were met with live displays from musicians and dancers, while the streets outside were covered in flags and Afcon branding. All this before the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the national team's matches at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat."
"However, for some locals, the ambition represents an obsessive need by the country's government to project an image to the outside world that far exceeds their willingness to help their own people on the ground. For example, there were criticisms about the speed of the state's response to the 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the north-western Al Haouz province in September 2023, which sits in stark contrast to the speedy pace of stadium construction."
Senegal won the 35th Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic tournament that generated widespread attention and memorable final moments in Rabat. The event combined intense sporting competition with large-scale visual spectacle, including flags, music and choreographed ceremonies. Morocco pursued a deliberate events strategy to signal capacity to global sporting bodies and attract future high-profile competitions. State-led displays at airports and stadiums underscored that ambition. Local voices criticized the emphasis on international image, noting slow official responses to the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake and ongoing displacement of affected residents despite rapid stadium development.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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