Empty seats Push AFCON Organisers to Allow Free Entry
Low crowd turnout at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has forced organisers to take action, with supporters being allowed into stadiums for free after kick-off in matches that are not sold out.
Several group-stage games have started with visibly empty stands before filling up later in the match. The Group F fixture between Cameroon and Gabon in Agadir began with sparse attendance but saw a noticeable increase in crowd numbers during the first half, despite heavy rain. Official figures later put attendance at 35,200 in a stadium with a capacity of more than 45,000.
Similar scenes have played out at other venues during the opening days of the tournament. At Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium, the Group D match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin initially recorded an attendance of 6,703 before the figure was later revised to 13,073 as more spectators entered the ground.
A source within the Confederation of African Football confirmed that organisers, in agreement with CAF, have been opening stadium sections around 20 minutes after kick-off to allow fans waiting outside to enter without tickets.
Tickets remain available for most group-stage matches, with prices starting from 100 dirhams. Only a small number of fixtures involving the host nation, Morocco, and Algeria have been listed as sold out.
