What we learned from Afcon 2025

"The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will long be remembered for the way it finished. There were chaotic scenes at the end of regulation time in the final, when the award of a penalty to Morocco sparked a walk-off from Senegal and led to a delay of over 16 minutes before Brahim Diaz had his Panenka attempt saved. Atlas Lions boss Walid Regragui decried the incident as "shameful", and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) is yet to announce the sanctions."

"There is no doubt that Morocco has delivered outstanding infrastructure, facilities and stadiums, with the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital the stand-out example. Staging the tournament was partly in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 Fifa World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The North African country has benefitted from vast investment over recent years backed by King Mohammed VI, who said the country's infrastructure had demonstrated "resilience and a world-class level of readiness"."

"Pitches held up strongly, even in persistent rain, which has long been a challenge for Afcon hosts. "We are tremendously happy with our technology," Omar Khyari from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation told BBC Sport Africa. "We are very happy also because it shows the world that sometimes Africa can do it better than other countries. Maybe more importantly, all this technology is from Moroccan companies.""

The final of Afcon 2025 ended in controversy when a penalty award to Morocco prompted a Senegal walk-off and a 16-plus minute delay before the restart and a missed Panenka. Walid Regragui condemned the scenes as shameful and Caf has not yet announced sanctions. The tournament produced a record 121 goals and was otherwise largely well-organised. Morocco presented upgraded stadiums and facilities, with further renovations and a 115,000-seater planned. Pitches performed well even in heavy rain, and organisers highlighted the use of Moroccan technology and companies in event operations.

Read at www.bbc.com