Nigeria’s Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, lit up the opening ceremony of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday with a rousing performance that set the tone for the tournament in Morocco.
The ceremony, held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, marked the official kickoff of Africa’s biggest football showpiece moments before hosts Morocco faced Comoros in the opening match.
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Davido headlined the flagship performance alongside global rap star French Montana and renowned Moroccan-born producer RedOne.
The centrepiece act, titled “Le Show,” was one of the most visually striking opening sequences in AFCON history, blending music, light, choreography and symbolism for a global television audience.
In front of thousands of fans inside the stadium, Davido and French Montana delivered a high-energy live rendition of the newly released official AFCON soundtrack, drawing loud cheers and applause from the crowd. The performance underscored AFCON’s unique fusion of football, music and African cultural expression.
Widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential contemporary music figures, Davido’s appearance highlighted the global rise of Afrobeats and its role in projecting African culture onto the world stage. His performance echoed themes of celebration, confidence and continental pride that define the Africa Cup of Nations.
The ceremony officially ushered in a month-long tournament running until 18 January, featuring 24 national teams competing across six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Agadir.
With nine stadiums in use and Morocco hosting the finals for the first time since 1988, AFCON 2025 is being billed as one of the biggest editions in the competition’s history, combining elite football with powerful cultural storytelling on a continental scale.
