This should have come sooner, but I needed to settle in for AFCON in Morocco first. Apologies for the wait — let’s get started.
It is my second continental tournament in 2025, and I was hoping to enjoy this one. Just like the CHAN back in August, I arrived after the first game – this time the Super Eagles opened their account with a win. Good sign, right?
After conquering the Yalla madness with the help of Chris Emenyonu and Samuel Bamisebi (You should listen to our AFCON pod), I left Nigeria on Christmas Eve and didn’t arrive in Fes until midday on Christmas Day — missing out on the usual jollof rice and chicken along the way. It made for a very different Christmas for those of us who travelled to Morocco for the 35th edition of Africa’s biggest football showpiece.
Words cannot express how happy I am to be covering my third major tournament in two years, and my first time in Morocco. Many thanks to the unbeatable ACLSports.com and our Publisher, Calvin Emeka Onwuka.
And this brings me to the real story — the cold in Fes. With temperatures ranging between 6 and 10 degrees since my arrival, adjusting from a much warmer climate has been anything but comfortable.
I was born in Jos, Plateau State, a city in Nigeria’s north-central region known for its cold weather. Growing up, hot water was a necessity just to get through a bath, and now, for the first time in my adult life, I find myself living that way again. Even when the sun is shining, Fes is still surprisingly cold.
The conditions may be harsh, but I am settling in, and the work must go on. I have taken more tea in the last four days than I did in the entire previous month. Like every Naija man, adaptation comes naturally. And with the Super Eagles’ win over Tunisia last night, the rest of us journalists will be staying on in Fes for a few more days.
So, remember to watch this space for more of these diaries and sporting articles for the remainder of the tournament.
