The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has explained that Morocco’s frequent selection as host of major continental football tournaments is largely due to the inability of many African countries to finance and organise such events.

Speaking while addressing journalists in a video seen by SaharaReporters, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said most countries are reluctant to bid for hosting rights because they believe the competitions are financially unviable.

“Let me give you an example. In CAF, we have Futsal. I open a bid for six months and nobody submits an offer because they lose money,” Motsepe said.

He added that a similar situation occurred with the CAF Women’s Champions League, where no country initially expressed interest in hosting the tournament.

“I open a bid for the Women’s Champions League and nobody puts a bid because they lose money. Then Morocco comes and says, ‘I’ll help you.’ Sometimes another country also comes and says, ‘I will help you,’” he explained.

According to Motsepe, this recurring pattern has resulted in the same countries—particularly Morocco—hosting multiple CAF competitions, not because of preferential treatment, but due to a lack of alternatives.

“And what that leads to is that we’ve got lots of competitions where it’s often the same countries,” he said.

He further noted that many African governments openly acknowledge that they lack the financial capacity and infrastructure required to host continental tournaments.

“Partly it’s because the others don’t—the governments say, ‘We don’t have the money, we don’t have the resources,’” Motsepe stated.

Despite these challenges, the CAF president stressed that the organisation remains committed to developing football across the continent and encouraging more countries to invest in sports infrastructure.

“We have to move on and develop African football and encourage others as well to build their infrastructure because we’ll get there,” he said, expressing optimism that more nations would eventually begin to bid for hosting rights.

Meanwhile, Nigerian football icon and Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala recently criticised CAF’s perceived over-reliance on Morocco as a host nation for major tournaments and award ceremonies.

Taking to social media platform X, the six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year questioned the concentration of African football events in the North African country.

“The big question here is when will this whole @CAF_Online compensation to Morocco end? Awards, tournaments and all… it’s getting boring now,” Oshoala wrote. “We need other countries to step up. Everything concerning African football happens in Morocco; it feels like that’s the new HQ.”

Oshoala further argued that Nigeria, in collaboration with neighbouring countries, has the capacity to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

“We can co-host with our neighbours if we are serious. Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Togo are all next door… you can’t tell me two of these five neighbouring countries can’t co-host AFCON,” she said.

Her comments come amid Morocco’s growing influence in African football, as the country currently hosts the 35th TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, with CAF frequently citing its modern infrastructure and organisational efficiency as key reasons for its selection.