By Dayo Awoniyi
Hosts Morocco are in talks with Nigeria over a doubleheader friendly as part of their build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), under president Fouzi Lekjaa, has opened negotiations with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to stage the matches in November, according to reports from Rabat.
Atlas Lions coach Walid Regragui is seeking to test his side against top African opposition before the tournament kicks off in Casablanca on December 21, when Morocco face Comoros in the opening game.
Discussions are also ongoing with Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe to secure additional high-profile warm-ups.
Meanwhile, CAF has confirmed a record prize pool for the competition, with the champions set to earn $3.5 million — up from $2 million at the last edition.
Runners-up will receive $1.2 million, third place $700,000 and fourth place $600,000, while quarter-finalists get $450,000.
Group stage finishers will pocket between $200,000 and $300,000 depending on their standings.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
