08/01/2026
AFCON 2025: Second Conference of the “Inspire & Debate” Series Held on the Theme “Sport, Football and African Integration” at the AMCI Fan Zone
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 – 11:04 p.m.
Rabat – The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) organized, on Wednesday, the second conference on the theme “Sport, Football and African Integration”, as part of the activities of the AMCI Fan Zone set up for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025.
Organized within the “Inspire & Debate” conference series, this second meeting—intended for international students and graduates in Morocco—forms part of the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitment, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, to supporting African youth.
This conference series provides a dynamic platform for exchange, debate and inspiration around sport, football and the major challenges facing the African continent.
Held at the conference hall of the International University City of Rabat, under the auspices of AMCI, this second conference brought together more than 250 participants, including African Ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco, senior institutional officials, private sector stakeholders, and numerous international students.
The opening session was chaired by Mr. Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador and Director General of AMCI, and featured the participation of distinguished speakers, notably Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills; Mr. Abdelmalek Alaoui, economist and Founder & CEO of GUEPARD Group; Mr. Cedrick Esteban Aghey, Director of Legal Affairs and Compliance at the Confederation of African Football (CAF); Mr. Franciny Samba, Head of the Regional Office of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA); Mr. William Mbiakop, Founder of the African Sports & Creative Institute (ASCI); and Ms. Umubyeyi Ernestine, a Rwandan student benefiting from Morocco’s academic cooperation program and a participant in the women’s sporting raid “Sahraouiya”, held annually in Dakhla.
Discussions during the conference highlighted the strategic role of sport, particularly football, as a powerful driver of African integration, people-to-people rapprochement, and the promotion of values of solidarity, inclusion and South–South cooperation. Speakers also underscored the importance of public policies, institutional partnerships and investment in youth to make sport a sustainable vector for development and continental cohesion.
The conference was further marked by rich exchanges between students and panelists on a range of topics, including youth employability through sports and football-related professions, mobility and training opportunities in Africa, the role of sport in social inclusion and social cohesion, as well as prospects for sports cooperation and partnerships in support of African integration.
Through the “Inspire & Debate” conference series, AMCI thus reaffirms its commitment to an active and solidarity-based South–South cooperation, placing youth, dialogue and the sharing of experiences at the heart of its action, in line with the Royal Vision for an emerging and sustainable Africa.
Two additional conferences are scheduled as part of this series, addressing strategic themes related to youth, innovation, employability and sustainable development in Africa. They will take place on Monday, January 12 at 6:00 p.m. on the theme “Innovation, Digital Transformation and the Future of African Sport”, and on Friday, January 16 at 6:00 p.m. on the theme “Morocco 2030: An African Ambition”.
