With just few hours the opening kick-off of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco2025, the host nation has begun to welcome the first wave of contenders, each arrival adding colour, culture and anticipation to Africa’s biggest football festival.

Among the early teams to arrive for Africa’s flagship sports event are Comoros, who will face the host nation in the opening game of the competition in Rabat on Sunday. Mali, Angola, Egypt, Benin and Zimbabwe also landed in the country Thursday afternoon with others expected to arrive later at the weekend.

From Casablanca to Marrakech and Agadir, national teams are settling into their base camps, blending final football preparations with striking cultural displays that underline the spirit of a tournament built on unity, diversity and identity.

On Sunday, that celebration will reach its first crescendo when hosts Morocco face Comoros in the opening match, signalling the start of a month-long journey that will crown a new champion of Africa.

Morocco, as hosts, have been on the ground longest, completing final logistical checks while ensuring a seamless welcome for visiting delegations. The Atlas Lions, dreaming of lifting the trophy on home soil for the first time since 1976, will open the tournament amid huge expectation and nationwide support.

Angola were among the earliest teams to arrive, touching down in Marrakech to what officials described as an “impeccable reception.”