African football supremos on Wednesday anointed Morocco as the venue for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
They announced their decision following an executive committee meeting in Cairo of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) which runs the sport on the continent and organises the biennial tournament.
The 2027 competition was awarded to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - the first time it has been held in East Africa since Ethiopia in 1976.
Morocco - whose men's football team reached the last four at the 2022 World Cup - was heavily tipped to stage the event.
In the summer of 2022, the country's football administrators were praised for their organisation of the women's Cup of Nations. They proved that was no fluke with an equally hailed under-23 African Cup of Nations last June and July
But those events feature 12 and eight teams respectively and last three and two weeks.
The men's competition, which started in 1957, involves 24 sides and goes on for a month.
Morocco emerged unchallenged for the hosting rights after Algeria pulled out and other candidates - a Benin-Nigeria co-host plan - as well as Zambia opted to fight it out for the 2027 competition.
However, Caf bosses opted for the Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania deal.
It is believed the East African proposal was given extra credit as part of the confederation's push to make sure that the tournament is staged around the entire continent.
"Each zone must be able to host the African Cup of Nations," said Caf president Patrice Motsepe just before announcing which countries would stage the competition.
"We want to emphasise rotation."
The delayed 2023 Cup of Nations takes place in Cote d'Ivoire between 13 January and 11 February 2024.
The six groups of four teams will be based in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Korhogo, Bouaké and San Pedro.
