Overview
- Organizers approved free stadium entry roughly 20 minutes after kick-off for selected matches to raise attendance, with crowds in Agadir swelling from sparse warm-ups to more than 35,000 by full-time.
- A 15-minute VAR failure during DR Congo–Benin led to on-field confusion and post-match complaints from Benin coach Gernot Rohr about fairness in a top tournament.
- Torrential rain has not disrupted play, with SubAir technology credited for preserving pitch quality in Rabat and keeping matches on schedule.
- CAF’s calendar overhaul includes a new annual Nations-style competition from 2029, a plan that has drawn sharp criticism from figures such as Mali coach Tom Saintfiet.
- Club-versus-country tensions resurfaced as Marseille objected to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing over an hour for Gabon after he was initially declared out for their opener.