The fifth edition of Africa Sports Expo 2026 opened in Casablanca on Thursday, launching four days of professional meetings, institutional exchanges and strategic discussions on developing the sports industry in Morocco and across Africa.
According to the organizers, this year’s event brings together public officials, government representatives, business leaders, experts and sports industry professionals. It aims to establish itself as a key platform for structuring Africa’s sports economy, attracting investment and expanding opportunities for cooperation and partnerships across the continent.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mehdi Sekkouri Alaoui, president of the Moroccan Federation of Sports Professionals and organizer of the expo, and Abdellatif Maâzouz, president of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council. Also present was Abdoul Kassim Ibrahim Fomba, Mali’s minister of youth and sports in charge of civic education and citizenship, who led a high-level Malian delegation.
Mali is the guest of honor at this fifth edition, reflecting the event’s emphasis on African cooperation. The organizers said the country’s participation reflects the longstanding ties of brotherhood, friendship and solidarity between Morocco and Mali, as well as their shared ambition to use sport to bring people closer together and support economic and social development.
In his opening remarks, Sekkouri Alaoui welcomed the Malian delegation and stressed the importance of turning the strong ties between the two countries into practical opportunities for cooperation, knowledge-sharing and joint projects in sport, infrastructure and training.
The opening program continued with an official tour of the exhibition stands, followed by the inauguration of the Malian pavilion. The space showcases Mali’s ambitions and initiatives while presenting the potential of its sports sector.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Fomba outlined his vision for building a sustainable African sports model capable of achieving excellence and improving competitiveness.
He stressed that sports development cannot be reduced to building facilities and infrastructure, regardless of their importance or the scale of investment involved. It requires sustained investment in human capital, starting with identifying and supporting talent, developing skills, strengthening training and coaching systems and creating the conditions for African athletes to reach their full potential.
The approach reflects the view that Africa’s greatest sporting asset lies not only in its facilities and equipment, but above all in its people and young generations, who will shape the future of sport on the continent.
While infrastructure provides an essential foundation for sports development, its effectiveness depends on the quality of coaching and training, as well as the expertise and opportunities available to younger generations.
Fomba placed sports development within a broader framework of human development, citizenship and investment in Africa’s youth, emphasizing sport’s role in social inclusion and sustainable development.
This message aligns with Africa Sports Expo’s stated ambition to help build an organized, competitive and inclusive African sports industry that generates lasting economic value and contributes to social progress.
Sekkouri Alaoui also stressed the event’s economic and collaborative goals.
“We want Africa Sports Expo to be a place where Africa comes together to develop its sports economy. Our goal is for the meetings held over these four days to lead to partnerships, contracts and tangible achievements,” he said.
The aim is to move beyond protocol-driven institutional meetings and establish practical cooperation among public authorities, investors, businesses, universities, sports federations, industry professionals and other stakeholders.
As part of the opening day program, the afternoon was dedicated to the second edition of the Africa Stadiums & Arenas Forum, held under the theme “Building the Sports Infrastructure That Will Transform Africa.”
The forum brought together experts and officials from Africa and around the world to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in designing, financing, managing and operating sports facilities.
Discussions focused on the need for smart, sustainable and economically viable infrastructure that meets local needs, makes regions more attractive and keeps pace with the urban and economic changes taking place in African cities, as well as their future ambitions.
By bringing together the economic, institutional and human dimensions of sport, the opening day laid the groundwork for an edition seeking to turn dialogue into practical initiatives, strengthen cooperation across Africa and create new opportunities for the continent’s sports industry.
