CAF AFCON MOROCCO 2025: UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE KEY LANGUAGES FOR AFCON FANS
Travelling to AFCON Morocco 2025? This guide to Darija (local Arabic), Amazigh, and French will help fans connect with locals and navigate the country.
Morocco is getting ready to host fans from all over Africa and the world. Visitors will find a country that’s friendly, welcoming, and full of different languages.
If you’re planning to go, knowing a bit about the main languages can really help you connect with locals and enjoy your time there.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is happening from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Here’s a quick look at the languages you’ll hear in Morocco.
Darija: The Language of Everyday Life
Darija is the most common language in Morocco. It’s a Moroccan type of Arabic that people use every day.
It mixes Amazigh, French, Spanish, and English, so it’s lively and fast. You’ll hear it in markets, cabs, cafes, stadiums, and fan zones. If you want to say hello to someone, try:
Darija Standard Greeting: Salam, kidayr?” — “Hello, how are you?”
Amazigh: An Official Language
Amazigh languages are also important. These include Tarifit in the north, Tamazight in the centre, and Tachelhit in the south.
Amazigh is an official language, so you’ll see it on signs and in public places. It’s written in Tifinagh script.
If you travel outside the big cities, especially to the mountains or desert, you’ll hear Amazigh spoken a lot.
Amazigh standard greeting: “Azul, amek tgit?” — “Hello, how are you?”
Arabic: The Formal Language
Modern Standard Arabic (Fus’ha) is used for education and official stuff, but not so much in everyday talk. You might hear it if you watch TV, read CAFOnline, or go to press conferences before and after the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON games.
Arabic standard greeting: “Marhaban, kayfa haluk?” — “Hello, how are you?”
French: Used in Business and Cities
Because of Morocco’s history, French is common in government, business, and cities.
Many public services, menus, and transportation info are in both Arabic and French. This makes it easier for people from West Africa and Europe to get around.
French standard greeting: “Bonjour, comment allez-vous?” — “Hello, how are you?”
Spanish and English
In the northern cities of Tangier, Tetouan, and Nador, many people still speak Spanish because of cultural ties.
More young Moroccans are learning English, as are people who work in tourism.
Spanish standard greeting: “Hola, ¿cómo estás?” — “Hello, how are you?”
With its many languages and friendly people, Morocco is a great place for all fans to visit.
CRISTIANO RONALDO PROTESTS AL-HILAL'S BENZEMA DEAL BY SKIPPING AL-NASSR LEAGUE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming. Discover why the Al-Nassr star skipped his last match and is now threatening to leave Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main attraction in the Saudi Pro League ever since he landed in the Middle East three years ago. Now, for the first time, it looks like he’s actually thinking about leaving. He’s frustrated. He feels the playing field isn’t level, and it’s starting to get to him.
Here’s the deal: Four clubs in the league—Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli—get their backing straight from the state. But Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday night. Why? He was protesting. He found out Al-Hilal was about to sign Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and that was the last straw. From Ronaldo’s perspective, Al-Hilal keeps getting more freedom to splash cash than everyone else. They’re the current champions, and Ronaldo still hasn’t managed to win his first Saudi title.
Saudi officials tried to calm him down. According to Diario AS, they reached out and argued that most of Al-Hilal’s extra spending comes from Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, not the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Hilal just brought in Kader Meite for €30 million, Saimon Bouabre for €23 million, and now Benzema. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, only managed two free transfers this winter. Sure, they spent a lot more in the summer, but that didn’t seem to matter to Ronaldo.
Reports from Portugal, cited by AS, say Ronaldo’s not ruling anything out—not even leaving Saudi Arabia this summer. That’s despite just signing an extension with Al-Nassr until 2027.
And honestly, he has a point. Since he arrived, Al-Hilal have spent €647 million, while Al-Nassr have shelled out €410 million and Al-Ittihad €365 million. These numbers probably don’t include salaries—and let’s face it, nobody’s making more than Ronaldo. He’s supposed to return on Friday when Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad, but right now, no one really knows if he’ll play or if he’s planning his next move.
N’GOLO KANTE SKIPS TRAINING AS AL-ITTIHAD BLOCK HIS MOVE TO FENERBAHCE OFFICIALLY
N’Golo Kante has gone on strike at Al-Ittihad after a paperwork error blocked his move to Fenerbahce. Can he still sign by Friday?
N’Golo Kanté didn’t show up for Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday, and it’s not hard to see why. He was all set to head to Fenerbahçe, but the deal fell apart at the last minute—apparently because Al-Ittihad messed up some paperwork. Kante was supposed to fly to Istanbul and sign, but thanks to this administrative slip, he’s stuck in limbo. There’s still a shot at reviving the transfer sinceKanté Turkey’s transfer window stays open until Friday, February 6.
Kante was one of the first big European names to jump to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad in 2023 after seven years with Chelsea. He’s been a key player in Jeddah, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 league title and the King’s Cup.
Then, in the middle of the January window, word got out that Fenerbahce wanted him. The Turkish club were eager to add a World Cup winner to their squad. The plan was to swap Kante for Youssef En-Nesyri, who’d head to Saudi Arabia. Everything seemed set until deadline day, when news broke that an error by Al-Ittihad in the Transfer Matching System stopped the transfer cold.
Fenerbahce didn’t hold back. They blamed Al-Ittihad directly, saying they’d done everything right: agreements with the players, medicals, paperwork, all wrapped up on time. But Al-Ittihad entered something wrong in the system, and that was that. Fenerbahçe even asked for an extension and reached out to FIFA, but nothing moved. In the end, the deal died, and Fenerbahçe put out a statement saying they understood the frustration and would keep working to strengthen the squad.
Meanwhile, Kante’s making his feelings clear. According to Ben Jacobs, he skipped training on Tuesday, still hoping the move to Fenerbahce can happen. Santi Aouna says talks between the clubs aren’t dead yet. L’Equipe is reporting that Kanté doesn’t want to play for Al-Ittihad while he waits for FIFA’s decision. With the Turkish window open until Friday, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Kante, though En-Nesyri’s move is off the table for now.