The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on Sunday in Morocco with Nigeria’s Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, joining global music stars at the tournament’s opening ceremony.
Moments before hosts Morocco faced Comoros in the opening match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Davido, French Montana and RedOne headlined the ceremony’s flagship performance, titled Le Show.
The performance stood out as one of the most visually striking opening moments in AFCON history, blending music, light, movement and symbolism in a carefully choreographed display aimed at a global television audience beyond the African continent.
Davido featured as one of Africa’s most influential musical figures of the modern era.
As described by CAF, “the Nigerian Afrobeats star has helped carry African music onto the world’s biggest stages, with a sound associated with celebration, confidence and continental pride, qualities CAF believes mirror the spirit of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
French Montana, born in Morocco and raised in the United States, is one of the most recognisable African-born artists on the international rap scene. His presence reflected Morocco’s role as host and a cultural bridge between Africa and the wider world.
Completing the trio was RedOne, the Moroccan-born producer whose work has shaped global pop music across continents.
His inclusion underlined Africa’s creative influence behind the scenes, linking African identity with international audiences through sound and production.
According to CAF, Le Show unfolded as a dynamic visual narrative, with the three artists converging at centre stage amid pulsing lights, drums and digital displays, designed to reflect unity, diversity and movement – themes central to AFCON 2025’s message.
The ceremony marked the start of a month-long tournament 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 framed as one of the most ambitious editions of the competition, combining elite football with cultural storytelling on a continental scale.
