For the first time in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, each of the 24 national teams will have its own hotel and training center, a move that will have a major impact on the tournament, which will kick off on December 21 in Morocco.

The era of teams sharing the same hotels during the tournament is over. Each team will have its own headquarters to provide a space for focus and isolation, which is happening for the first time in the tournament's history.

This phase was planned in Rabat last January, where 24 private accommodations were allocated, one for each qualified team. Each accommodation includes a five-star hotel exclusively for the team, in addition to a training center near the hotel.

During the group stage, the keys to these camps were distributed by drawing lots in a workshop organized in Rabat in the presence of the coaches on January 26, one day before the group stage draw.

An official from the Moroccan Football Federation said that the stadiums available to the African Union are in excellent condition and comply with international standards, noting that CAF will have complete freedom to allocate training centers to each team according to the proximity of the hotel and the team's journey in the tournament.

The flexible organization process aims to reduce team travel and improve player recovery periods. A source close to Morocco's bid to host the tournament said that his country aims to deliver the standards of the European Championship and the World Cup in the current edition of the tournament.

Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, had stressed the need to avoid confusing this system with what his country has planned for the “2030 World Cup”, which Morocco will host alongside Spain and Portugal.

Beyond the glamour, this groundbreaking move presents a formidable logistical challenge. Managing 24 separate camps for 24 national teams means coordinating small, independent communities, including security, food, transportation, and media pressure – all meticulously planned operations.

It's not just the hotels that are affected; as for the matches, none of the nine stadiums in the tournament will be used for two consecutive matches on the same day, something new that has not happened in previous editions.