How stadiums stay perfect despite heavy rain

As torrential rain swept across Morocco during the opening week of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, one thing refused to give way: the pitches.

While fans watched matches unfold without delay, a circulating video has revealed the stadiums’ drainage systems, offering a glimpse into the quiet engineering masterpiece beneath the grass.

Morocco, the host nation, is asserting itself more than ever as a home for African and international football.

Beyond the spectacle on the field, the tournament is underpinned by an ambitious infrastructure modernisation programme designed to meet the highest CAF and FIFA standards.

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Days into the competition, global attention has shifted to the remarkable quality of the playing surfaces, which remained largely unaffected despite persistent heavy rainfall across the Kingdom.

At the heart of this success is SubAir pitch technology.

With no signs of waterlogging, no puddles, and uninterrupted play, the system ensured the ball kept rolling naturally throughout the games.

SubAir works by using pumps and blowers connected to underground drainage to control subsurface conditions, pushing fresh air into the soil, removing harmful gases, and extracting excess water up to 36 times faster than traditional gravity drainage.

“This technology ensures optimal playing conditions and the healthiest grass possible,” Bernhard Company, the British firm behind Morocco’s first SubAir installation, had promised months earlier and the results are now on full display.

Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium also boasts Africa’s first hybrid grass pitch, combining natural grass with synthetic fibers for enhanced durability, drainage, and player safety.

Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi summed it up best after his side’s win over Uganda: despite hours of heavy rain, the pitch was “excellent,” allowing his team to play their football.

Weeks of planning, a switch from Bermuda to Ryegrass, and state-of-the-art systems across all nine stadiums have ensured the pitches remain perfect even after torrential rainfall.

Watch the video below:

FKA/JE