CAN 2025: Economic Legacy Forecast by Mahama Coulibaly

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations organized in Morocco marks a major turning point for African football. According to figures communicated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), revenues generated by the competition increased by 90%, making this edition the most profitable in the history of the CAN. A performance which goes far beyond the sporting framework and which marks the entry of African football into a new economic dimension.

Guest of the show Yes We CAN, Mahama Coulibaly, recognized expert in the economics of sport and connoisseur of major African competitions, gives a straightforward reading of this change. For him, CAN 2025 clearly symbolizes the shift in African sport towards a more structured, more professional approach and resolutely focused on value creation.

African sport, now an economic product

Long confined to its popular and emotional dimension, African sport is today revealing its economic potential on a large scale. “It is often during major events that we realize that African sport is a real economic product,” explains Mahama Coulibaly, expert in sports economics, former president of the CAN 2023 marketing commission and former president of the Ivorian Basketball Federation. CAN 2025 illustrates, according to him, this reality through the explosion of income linked to television rights, sponsorship, digital ticketing and consumption around the stadiums.

For the expert, the challenge now is to transform this economic “boom” into sustainable dynamics. “We should not wait for an economic peak every two or four years. The objective must be to build a sustainable local economy around sport,” he insists, while welcoming the progressive professionalization of sports organization on the continent.

In the eyes of Mahama Coulibaly, the CAN 2025 organized in Morocco constitutes a real “masterclass” in terms of organization. Digitalization of television rights, modernization of ticketing, direct consumption around sports venues: all the levers of sports business have been activated. “Morocco has positioned itself as an organizational leader in major sporting events,” he analyzes. This success not only reinforces the notoriety of the Kingdom, already recognized as a major tourist destination, but also consolidates its credibility in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup. “There are now much fewer doubts, if at all, about Morocco’s capacity to host world competitions,” he says.

Sustainable or cyclical impacts?

Beyond the image, the economic benefits are tangible. Tourism, investments, territorial development: the CAN acted as a catalyst. “Morocco is gaining in diplomacy, expertise and attractiveness,” observes Mahama Coulibaly, referring in particular to Tangier, a free zone and investment hub, as an illustration of this dynamic.

The expert also highlights the emergence of a real sports industry, integrating sometimes less visible but structuring dimensions: sport-health, employment, urban development and access to sport for all. “The cities have become more beautiful, the infrastructures have been modernized, and the practice of sport has become more accessible,” he notes.

If sporting emotion remains ephemeral by nature, Mahama Coulibaly clearly distinguishes the cyclical from the structural. “The emotion is the moment. Sustainability is built in preparation,” he explains. According to him, CAN 2025 meets several sustainable development criteria: employability of young people, mobilization of volunteers, creation of lasting infrastructure and growth of sports tourism.

Unlike the phenomenon of “white elephants” observed in certain African countries after major events, Morocco seems to have anticipated the management of inheritance. “The challenge now is to optimize these infrastructures and extend the benefits to other sporting disciplines, beyond football,” he argues, citing basketball in particular as a sport with high potential.

Funding African sport differently

Another central point addressed: the financing of sport. Still largely dependent on public funds, the African model must evolve. For Mahama Coulibaly, the levers have been identified: sponsorship, television rights, merchandising and ticketing. “Sponsoring remains the key in Africa,” he underlines, while recalling that the development of merchandising requires improving purchasing power and the quality of the show.

The record performance of CAN 2025 confirms this trend. “A 90% increase in revenue is unprecedented. It shows that the prospects for African sports business are immense,” he analyzes, attributing this growth to the quality of the organization, digitalization (Fan ID, online ticketing) and the growing global interest in African football.

Without talking about a total break, Mahama Coulibaly believes that CAN 2025 has raised the level of demands. “It improves the commercial standard,” he says, referring to the emergence of new sources of income, particularly digital, and the future potential of e-sport. The law of supply and demand has also taken hold, with fans willing to pay more for the stadium experience.

In conclusion, the expert pleads for a collective approach to the development of African sport. Governance, professionalization, cooperation between States, private sector and federations: “Sport is no longer a game in terms of economic issues,” he says.

Through CAN 2025, Morocco has sent a clear message to the continent: sport can become an engine of growth, employment and international influence. “Morocco’s success is also that of Africa,” summarizes Mahama Coulibaly, calling for strengthening solidarity and South-South cooperation to make African sport a truly sustainable industry.