The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, with a total of 24 teams playing in the continent’s main international men’s competition.
AFCON 2025’s mascot, Assad, readies to welcome supporters from all over the continent for the tournament [Getty/file photo]
The 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday and is set to be an almost month-long celebration of African football, bringing together some of the continent’s biggest talents.
The tournament will run from 21 December to 18 January and will be hosted by Morocco. Matches will be played across Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech and Tangier, with the final taking place at the newly renovated Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital. The stadium has a capacity of 69,500 seats.
This year’s AFCON is the first to be held over the Christmas and New Year period. It will also mark the second time Morocco has hosted the competition, having previously done so in 1988.
Morocco will be under close scrutiny during the tournament. Earlier this year, Gen Z-led protests criticised the government’s heavy spending on AFCON preparations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, urging authorities to prioritise domestic issues such as healthcare, youth unemployment and education.
(Mo Salah has yet to win a trophy with Egypt, and will look to go one step further after finishing as runner-up in 2017 and 2021)
Concerns were also raised over the tournament’s organisation, but in October the Confederation of African Football confirmed that Morocco would remain the host nation.
Basma El Atti
What is AFCON?
The Africa Cup of Nations is the continent’s premier international men’s football tournament and is held every two years.
The inaugural edition took place in Sudan in 1957, with just three teams participating. The competition expanded rapidly and has been held biennially since 1968.
Egypt are the most successful nation in AFCON history, having won the title seven times.
From 2028, the tournament will shift to a four-year cycle and return to even-numbered years.
Who is playing?
Hosts Morocco will face Comoros in the opening match on Sunday, and are grouped with Mali and Zambia in Group A.
Group B features Egypt, Angola, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Group C includes Tunisia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
Group D consists of Senegal, DR Congo, Botswana and Benin, while Group E includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.
Group F rounds out the competition with the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon and Mozambique.
Workers adding the finishing touches to the fan zone areas as AFCON 2025 kicks off in Morocco on Sunday [Getty]
Who are the teams to watch?
All eyes will be on Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, whose squad includes stars playing at Europe’s top clubs. The Atlas Lions, Africa’s highest-ranked team, will be expected to go deep into the tournament as hosts, despite pressure to improve on a disappointing showing in 2023 and to deliver silverware given their standing in world football.
Despite their pedigree, Morocco have won AFCON just once, in 1976.
Expectations will also be high for reigning champions Ivory Coast, as well as traditional powerhouses Nigeria, Senegal and Egypt. Egypt captain Mohamed Salah will be hoping to end a 15-year wait for international silverware.
South Africa and DR Congo are viewed as potential dark horses, while Cameroon, Algeria and Tunisia are also expected to perform strongly.
Who are the players to watch?
Africa’s top footballing talent will be on display, from established stars to rising prospects.
For Morocco, Achraf Hakimi is the standout figure, having won multiple domestic and European titles with Paris Saint-Germain last season and scoring in the Champions League final. He also finished sixth in this year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, the highest-ever placing for a Moroccan player.
Mo Salah has yet to win a trophy with Egypt, and will look to go one step further after finishing as runner-up in 2017 and 2021 [Getty]
Other Moroccan players to watch include Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz and Bilal El Khannous, currently on loan at VfB Stuttgart from Leicester City.
Mohamed Salah will once again carry Egypt’s hopes. Widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest players and a Liverpool legend, Salah is still chasing his first major international trophy after finishing runner-up at AFCON in 2017 and 2021.
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen enters the tournament in outstanding form with Galatasaray, scoring freely in the Turkish Super Lig. He is six goals away from surpassing Rashidi Yekini as the Super Eagles’ all-time leading scorer.
Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo, who joined Manchester United this summer after six strong seasons with Brentford, will be playing his first AFCON and is expected to play a key role.
Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo, another Manchester United player, returns to the tournament after missing the 2023 edition through injury and will be eager to impress as the defending champions seek to retain their title.
Other notable names include Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who continues to perform at a high level at Marseille at the age of 36, and Senegal veteran Sadio Mane, who brings experience to the Teranga Lions.
