The Moroccan Local organizing committee for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has rolled out an innovative strategy, endorsed by the Confederation of African Football that allows fans to attend certain matches for free 20 minutes after they have started.
This strategy is intended to enhance attendance at games that are expected to attract fewer spectators.
This approach was implemented on Wednesday evening at Agadir’s Grand Stade, which can accommodate 45,000 people, during the Cameroon versus Gabon match.
Initially, the stands were almost empty during the team warm-ups. However, despite the ongoing rain in the coastal city, the crowd size gradually increased throughout the first half, eventually reaching 35,200 attendees.
Earlier in the week, a similar pattern was observed when Egypt secured a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe at the same location.
Even though the national anthems were performed in front of sparse audiences, the official attendance eventually climbed to 28,199.
The delayed arrival of spectators occasionally resulted in localized crowd control challenges for the stadium staff.
Other matches, including DR Congo-Benin and Tunisia-Uganda, also adopted this measure, drawing considerable attention on social media with the tagline “AFCON of the People.”
Games featuring the Moroccan national team, all of which are officially sold out, are exempt from this policy.
Ticketing and stadium attendance remain significant hurdles for Morocco’s AFCON organizers.
The tournament which took a Christmas break after 12 round 1 group fixtures resumes today with first ever AFCON boxing day matches in different venues.
