Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has reaffirmed that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in Morocco as planned, despite ongoing anti-government protests in the country.

For over a week, thousands of young Moroccans have taken to the streets, demanding reforms, better social services, and an end to corruption.

The unrest has sparked concerns about the nation’s readiness to host Africa’s biggest football tournament, set to kick off on December 21 and run until January 18, across nine venues.

Speaking at a CAF meeting in Kinshasa on Monday, Motsepe dismissed any doubts over the tournament’s future.

“We (CAF) are absolutely confident the AFCON will go ahead as planned. Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B and Morocco is plan C,” he said.

“CAF will co-operate and work with the government and all the citizens of Morocco to host the most successful AFCON in history,” he added.

The 2025 AFCON is expected to feature top stars including Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, as 24 teams battle for continental glory.

Ghana will miss the competition for the first time since 2004 after finishing bottom of their Group In the qualifiers.