VIDEO SHOWS: FANS GATHERING OUTSIDE PRINCE MOULAY ABDELLAH STADIUM ON THE EVE OF THE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS IN MOROCCO / SOUNDBITES FROM FANS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: RABAT, MOROCCO (DECEMBER 20, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. EXTERIOR OF PRINCE MOULAY ABDELLAH STADIUM WITH NATIONAL FLAGS FLYING AND PEOPLE WALKING IN FOREGROUND 2. CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER OUTSIDE STADIUM 3. VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICER DIRECTING TRAFFIC AROUND STADIUM 4. PRINCE MOULAY ABDELLAH STADIUM / SECURITY STAFF WALKING 5. STADIUM AND SINAGE FOR SECTIONS 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Moroccan Arabic) MOROCCO FAN, HICHAM KABIRTE, SAYING: “One day until the start of the AFCON competition that is going to be held here in Morocco. As you can see, Morocco is ready for the event with high standards for stadiums, infrastructure, and also security and the protection of visitors and stadiums.” 7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCO FAN, YASSINE OUHAMI, SAYING: “We just arrived via Rabat Airport which is magnificent. It's very safe and we feel like the AFCON Cup will go as planned. The atmosphere is fantastic. The stadium behind us is immense. There's nothing more to say. The fans are here. The Moroccans are here. We're eagerly awaiting this AFCON, and I hope Morocco will win this 2025-2026 Africa Cup of Nations.” 8. (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO FAN, JULIA-FERIOL NAKWETI, SAYING: “I came from the Democratic Republic of Congo for this great event, this big day, which is the Africa Cup of Nations. And it's Morocco, the Kingdom of Morocco is the host country, and it's a real pleasure to be here. Especially because the DRC is participating, and we believe we will return to Kinshasa with the Africa Cup." 9. NAKWETI HOLDING UP A REPLICA AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TROPHY IN FRONT OF PRINCE MOULAY ABDELLAH STADIUM 10. PERSON TAKING PICTURE OF A FAN IN MOROCCO COLOURS HOLDING UP REPLICA TROPHY IN FRONT OF THE STADIUM 11. NAKWETI AND MOROCCO FANS PLAYFULLY ARGUING OVER WHO WILL WIN THE AFCON 12. EXTERIOR OF PRINCE MOULAY ABDELLAH STADIUM STORY: Fans of African soccer have begun flocking to Rabat as they eagerly await the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The AFCON 2025 will kick off in the capital city’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday (December 21) with hosts Morocco taking on Comoros. Fans near the stadium grounds on Saturday (December 20) told Reuters they expected the tournament to be a success, saying travel so far had gone smoothly for them and that they felt security around the tournament was tight. Twenty-four nations from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will compete in the tournament in nine venues across six Moroccan cities with a winner being crowned on January 18. On Saturday, CAF announced that the winner of the tournament, in its 35th edition, will win $10 million, an increase from $7 million for the last Cup of Nations won by Ivory Coast. It was also announced that after the 2028 AFCON, the tournament will transition from being a biannual event to being competed every four years. (Production: Abdelhak Balhaki, Kurt Michael Hall)
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