African soccer's governing body CAF has brought in the national airline of Morocco as a commercial partner.
Through a sponsorship deal unveiled over the weekend (April 19), Royal Air Maroc becomes an official global partner for an array of top-tier African soccer competitions and tournaments.
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This deal comes with Morocco currently preparing to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) men's national team tournament across December and January, as well as the women's edition in July. In addition, it will co-host the FIFA 2030 men's World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal.
Alongside the AFCON and the Women's AFCON, this tie-up with Royal Air Maroc will also cover CAF's other properties, including, the U-17 AFCON 2025, the U-20 AFCON 2025, the CAF Champions League 2024-25 Finals, the CAF Confederation Cup 2024-25 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
Patrice Motsepe, the recently-reelected (last month) president of CAF, has said: "We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition, and we are delighted to see more Moroccan and other African and international companies sponsor and partner with CAF and African football.”
In terms of other CAF commercial deals, oil and gas giant TotalEnergies will title-sponsor the upcoming AFCON in Morocco, through a deal announced in January that covers 12 CAF competitions and events in total.
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By GlobalDataTotalEnergies has sponsored CAF competitions since 2016, with this latest renewal taking the partnership beyond a decade in length, with the value being worth a reported $31.25 million per year, or $250 million total over the initial eight years of the deal.
Hamid Abdou, Royal Air Maroc's chair and chief executive, added: "This historic partnership with CAF is fully in line with our strategic vision, that of an airline resolutely rooted in Africa and committed to its development. Royal Air Maroc does not just connect destinations, it also creates bridges between cultures and passions."
In terms of its previous association with soccer in Africa, Royal Air Maroc served as a sponsor of the Moroccan men's national team during their successful FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign in Qatar, in which tournament the side reached the semi-finals (the first African team in history to do so).
