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35th edition of Africa Cup of Nations Hosts Morocco will face Comoros in the tournament opener in Rabat on Sunday.
The last time Ivory Coast were champions, they won the Afcon on home soil after an extraordinary campaign where the Elephants fired their manager midway through the tournament and came on the verge of a group stage exit before winning the trophy against Nigeria in the final.
Could history repeat itself after two years? Well, Morocco is the favorite team before the tournament. The Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals three years ago. If the extraordinary support they have received in Qatar is anything to go by, Morocco will have a huge home advantage – although this could lead to a stifling pressure of expectation as they aim to win their first Afcon title since 1976.
However, one of the best aspects of the Africa Cup of Nations is how open it can be. Half the countries in the 24-team field have been previous champions, with other sides including Senegal, Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria having won more recently.
Contrast this with next summer’s World Cup, where only seven countries competing in the 48-team tournament so far have been world champions in the past, and that’s why many in the Afcon will be believing this could be their year in what is often an unpredictable tournament.
key dates
The group stages run from Sunday 21 December to Wednesday 31 December. The knockout stages begin on Saturday 3 January. The final will be played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday 18 January.
controversy before the start
The timing of the Africa Cup of Nations is once again a topic of discussion – which is unfair to the tournament itself as it has been compressed by the endless expanse of club football. On one hand, the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup held last July forced Afcon to withdraw from the Northern Hemisphere summer competition. On the other hand, the conclusion of the Champions League league stage in January forced the Afcon to kick-off earlier and force the tournament to be played on Christmas.
Many teams are unhappy – particularly with the sudden change in the date for clubs to release their players for the tournament, from seven days before the opening game to less than a week. This is similar to the situation countries faced ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which also took place in the middle of the season. As a result, coaches have cut down on significant preparation time, but players can be sharp and ready to go, especially those in European leagues.
Group
The top two teams in each group will progress. The four best-ranked third-place teams will make it to the last-16.
- Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
- Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
- Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
- Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
- Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
- Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Sports and players to watch
morocco vs comoros Sunday 21st December, 7pm
The opening game of the tournament, which could set the tone as Morocco look to get off to a great start. The hosts are still managed by Walid Regragui, who led them to the World Cup semi-finals, but the Atlas Lions suffered a disappointing last-16 defeat to South Africa in the last Afcon two years ago. Therefore there is pressure. “We have to win the Africa Cup of Nations,” Regragui said.
Morocco’s Champions League-winning captain Achraf Hakimi is their star player and all eyes will be on whether the PSG full-back recovers from an ankle injury to play in the opening game. Regragui can still call on the same backbone of the team that performed so well at the World Cup with the added bonus of Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz, who is set to play in his first Afcon since switching allegiance from Spain.
Comoros were responsible for perhaps the biggest upset in AFCON history when they defeated Ghana in 2022 and reached the last-16. The small island nation is making its second Afcon appearance and will look to keep the underdog spirit of the tournament alive. For example, Cape Verde (which did not make it to this tournament but qualified for the World Cup) came within a penalty shoot-out of the semi-finals last time out.
Egypt vs South Africa Friday 26th December, 3pm
A real blockbuster in Group B, which includes two teams that can win the title and automatically qualify for the World Cup. It’s been far from a vintage season so far mohammed salah But the ‘King of Egypt’ will be motivated to put things right as he bids to win his first Afcon with the Pharaohs, the most successful team in the history of the tournament with a record seven titles. In terms of team achievements, this is the one thing missing from Salah’s career and given time His explosive interview before his Liverpool departureWould be great.
nigeria vs tunisia Saturday 27th December, 8pm
Oh, Nigeria. The Super Eagles are coming to the Afcon after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive time as a result of a play-off defeat to DR Congo in Rabat. After this, Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chele said some strange things about the players of DR Congo. Doing “Voodoo” during a penalty shootout – But if Nigeria misses the mark again, there will be nowhere to hide. Runners-up in the last Afcon, Nigeria still have a talented squad that includes Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman and should be among the contenders.
Senate GR Congo Saturday 27th December, 3pm
DR Congo kept their World Cup dream alive by beating both Cameroon and Nigeria to reach March’s intercontinental play-off, a statement pair of results that suggested they could be dark horses again after reaching the semi-finals two years ago. Even without star striker Yoan Wissa, who was ruled out since returning from injury for Newcastle, they have a strong squad that includes West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissacka and Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki as well as charismatic captain Chancel Mbemba.
Can they defeat 2022 champions Senegal, who will be one of the favorites this time? And will one of Africa’s greatest players, Sadio Mane, continue to play for the Lions of Teranga, with Ismaila Sarr, Nicholas Jackson and Ilman Ndiaye all competing for a place in the front row?
algeria vs sudan Wednesday 24th December, 3pm
It is noteworthy that Sudan also qualified for the tournament In view of the civil war and humanitarian crisis He is returning home. They had to play their qualifying matches at a neutral venue in Libya, yet they took four points against Ghana, which is why the Black Stars missed this year’s tournament. Their opening game against Algeria will be a poignant moment.
ivory coast vs cameroon Sunday 28th December, 8pm
Sebastien Haller led Ivory Coast to the Afcon title two years ago but is doubtful for the tournament due to a hamstring injury. The return of Wilfried Zaha, two years after his last international appearance, is intriguing, while Ivory Coast still have plenty of firepower with Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and Yann Diomande, who have impressed for Leipzig this season, coming into play.
This Group F clash will appear to be a very tight affair – but how will Cameroon fare after the chaotic situation? After failing to qualify for the World Cup, Cameroon sacked coach Mark Bryce just three weeks before the start of the Afcon amid allegations of “fraud” and appointed his assistant David Pageau, who immediately dismissed legendary Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar and former Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana from the squad.
how to see
Every game of Afcon 2025 will be shown in the UK by Channel 4, on Channel 4, E4, 4Seven or online on the Channel 4 streaming service or YouTube.