Nasser Bourita and Fouzi Lekjaa, the effective duo behind the organizational triumph of CAN 2025 in Morocco
Away from the spotlight focused on the pitches and the stands, the outstanding success of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco also rests on discreet, steady, and forward looking diplomatic work. In this regard, the role of Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stands out as one of the silent but decisive pillars of this widely praised organization.
A self declared football enthusiast and a keen observer of sport as a tool of influence, Nasser Bourita succeeded in placing CAN 2025 within a broader framework of Moroccan sports diplomacy, where football becomes a universal language serving the Kingdom’s international standing. In close synergy with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and its president Fouzi Lekjaa, he supported, facilitated, and secured all the international dimensions of the event, including relations with the CAF, coordination with African delegations, the reception of sporting and media bodies, and the smooth management of protocol and institutional matters.
This complementarity between Moroccan diplomacy and national sports governance enabled Morocco to deliver an exemplary Africa Cup of Nations, both in organizational and symbolic terms. Under the leadership of Fouzi Lekjaa, a widely recognized architect of the renewal of African football, and with the strategic diplomatic backing of Nasser Bourita, the Kingdom demonstrated its ability to combine professionalism, hospitality, and a continental vision.
This success did not go unnoticed by the highest authorities of African football. Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football, publicly congratulated Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and all institutional stakeholders, praising an organization that was “at the level of the highest international standards.” These words of recognition confirm a Moroccan model in which sport and diplomacy move forward together, driven by the same ambition to serve Africa and strengthen its ties.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s article – le7tv
