Overview:
A couple of diligent Ugandans appointed for respective CAF duties at the tournament served professionally with excellence. Ahmed Hussein (Media), Dixon Adol “Bond” Okello (Safety & Security), Leila Nankya (operations), Shamirah Nabadda & Ali Tomusange Mulumba (Refereeing), Jamie Egesa (Commentary), Jamil Ssewanyana (safety & security) and Saddam Bulega (Branding) showed their “A” game at Africa’s biggest football fiesta.
Senegal won their second AFCON title since the tournament inception in 1957, clinching the 35th edition of the championship that lured 24 countries hosted by Morocco.
The Lions of Terenga roared loudest over the hosts Morocco (Atlas Lions) 1-0 after extra time in a game that produced the anticipated sparks and truly lived to its billing.
Villarreal midfielder Pape Alassane Gueye was the scorer of the lone strike in extra time after normal time had ended goalless to call for the extra-30 minutes.
Since the 21st December 2025 until 18th January 2026, the tournament witnessed 52 matches where 121 goals were scored in varying fashion; tap-ins, bullet shots, curls, overhead kicks, headers, melees, deflections and even own goals.
Action was witnessed in 9 magnificent stadia spread around in the different cities of Agadir, Fes, Rabat, Tanger, Casablanca and the tourism city of Marrakech.
Throughout this championship, I was stationed at Hay El Fath in Rabat, just adjacent the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and Olympic Stadium.
From there, I would travel to the rest of the venues across the country with different means of transport; the train, air, cars and the buses.
The comfort and convenience of these various transport means made me reflect the situation back home in Uganda at all times but I believe that one day, we shall reach that level.
Access to match day venues was by my accreditation tag accompanied by the special SAD’s.
I was personally impressed by the level of organization from the host country with good planning prior to the matches proper, the well organized working areas (media tribune, press conference rooms, media centers and mixed zone dockets).
A couple of diligent Ugandans appointed for respective CAF duties at the tournament served professionally with excellence.
Ahmed Hussein (Media), Dixon Adol “Bond” Okello (Safety & Security), Leila Nankya (operations), Shamirah Nabadda & Ali Tomusange Mulumba (Refereeing), Jamie Egesa (Commentary), Jamil Ssewanyana (safety & security) and Saddam Bulega (Branding) showed their “A” game at Africa’s biggest football fiesta.
I take home sweet memories and significant learning experiences having covered my third AFCON championship after Gabon (2017) and Egypt (2019).
Global Icons in Morocco:
The FIFA president Gianni Infantino also spent the entire month in Morocco alongside the CAF boss Dr. Patrice Motsepe.
The Royal Highness Prince Moulay graced the opener, a couple of matches and finale.
Former Arsenal Football Club manager Arsene Wenger, now working with FIFA in the technical docket watched a couple of matches.
Active and retired football stars like Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappe, El Hadji Diouf, Sunday Olishe, Abdoulaye Falleh, Khalilou Fadiga and others were regular guests during the matches.
Famous music icons as Burna Boy, Idriss Elba, Akon, Uganda’s Joshua Baraka and others also performed during the opening, fan zone and parks as well as closing ceremony.
Rwanda’s president General Paul Kagame, an ardent football supporter attended the grand finale.
Also, internationally trending You-Tuber I-Show Speed dressed as the tournament Mascot and excited many during the finale.
In the tournament proper where my very own Uganda Cranes bowed out at the group stage phase, I still credit the high skill set grade and professionalism from the players who featured.
You could easily depict that the many players at this championships are technically gifted; little wonder majority feature in the world’s best leagues in Europe, Asia, Africa and elsewhere.
Senegal equaled Algeria on two titles won. They are still five shy from the record winners, Egypt who have accumulated seven.
Cameroon follows with 5, Ghana (4), Nigeria (3), Cote D’Ivoire (3), Algeria (2), Senegal (2), DR Congo (2), Zambia (1), Tunisia (1), Sudan (1), South Africa (1), Ethiopia (1), Morocco (1) and Congo (1).
Senegalese playmaker Sadio Mane took home the best player’s gong. Diaz was top scorer with five goals, Yassine Bounou stood out as the best goalkeeper and Morocco won the fair-play award.
Fans had a field day at office on match days from as early as 9 hours to kick off; to the game and throughout the night.
The different countries had cheer leaders, lead drumming gurus, bands and choirs with the euphoria spread over even outside the stadium confines in fan parks and fan zones.
On stand-out moment for me was the special fan from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Michel Kuka Mboladinga whose drastic rise to fame and international recognition was the standing in a statue position with his right hand raised as he remembered the legacy of Pan Africanist Patrice Lumumba.
Mboladinga became the talk of the town and was a key attraction across the African continent and elsewhere.
Upon return to his native country, he was rewarded with cash, a brand new Jeep car and an ambassordial role in the sports docket.
The other element was the high class drainage of the playing surfaces which never flooded despite the heavy torrential rains throughout the championship.
The grayish patch was the violence witnessed during the closing stages of the grand finale but security was swift to arrest the situation.
Before the crowning ceremony, the CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe officially handed over the CAF flag to the next hosts; Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda who won the joint bid to host the 36th edition code-named as PAMOJA AFCON 2027.
Uganda’s state minister for sports Hon. Peter Ogwang and the president of Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Hon. Moses Hassim Magogo represented Uganda on the podium.
Special appreciation to the Kawowo Sports Media Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joseph Owino for bankrolling the entire trip where together with my fellow workmates had a dream stay and an exclusive tournament coverage in Morocco.
I will vividly recall the train rides, car drives, the footing exercises, football game on the Atlantic coastline and the odd Safari visits to the famous Agafay desert for camel rides, quad biking and the desert fire-lit dinner.
The special night in Rabat organized by Uganda Tourism Board and FUFA at Villa Soraya in Sale was also a remarkable outing where Destination Uganda was showcased to the rest of the world.
This further portrayed Uganda’s tourism potentiality and justified the bold call for more tourists to boost our economy from the Ug.Shs 1.6 trillion as we close gap to Morocco’s Ug.Shs 46.5 trillion fetched from Tourism alone per year.
My last moments in Morocco were the hospitable people I encountered as I left Hay El Fath through Agadir train station to Casa Port and finally at the Mohammed V International Airport for my flight back home.
I cannot wait to return home and we majestically at the Entebbe International Airport, a facility situated just besides the Africa’s greatest water body, Lake Victoria.
Guess what, my crave is the fresh water Tilapia fish after a month of feasting on fish off the Atlantic.
I sign out with excitement, pride and a heart fulfilled.