Africa Cup of Nations organisers in Morocco have been allowing supporters to enter stadiums free of charge after kick-off in matches where attendance has fallen short, according to a Confederation of African Football (CAF) source quoted by AFP. The measure has been introduced to counter visibly sparse crowds during the opening stages of the tournament.
One such example came on Wednesday in Agadir, where the Group F clash between Cameroon and Gabon began in front of largely empty stands amid persistent rain. However, the stadium filled noticeably during the first half, with the official attendance later announced as 35,200 in a venue with a capacity of more than 45,000.
Similar patterns have been observed across several early fixtures, at times creating confusion around reported attendance figures. In Tuesday’s Group D match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin at Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium, the crowd grew significantly as the game progressed. Initial attendance was announced as 6,703 before being revised upwards to 13,073.
According to the CAF source, organisers — acting in agreement with African football’s governing body — have been opening sections of stadiums roughly 20 minutes into matches, allowing fans gathered outside to enter without paying.
Ensuring strong attendances is a key priority for tournament organisers in Morocco, where the successful delivery of the Africa Cup of Nations forms part of broader preparations ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which the country will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.
Despite the free-entry measures, ticket availability remains widespread. CAF’s official ticketing platform on Thursday showed seats still on sale for most remaining group-stage fixtures, with prices starting at 100 dirhams (approximately $10.96).
Only a handful of matches were listed as sold out, including Morocco’s group games against Mali on Friday and Zambia on Monday, as well as Algeria’s fixtures against Burkina Faso on Sunday and Equatorial Guinea next Wednesday.
