African football’s best teams and brightest stars will take center stage in Morocco as the continent’s greatest show, the Africa Cup of Nations, kicks off on Sunday.
Ivory Coast will aim to defend the title they won in 2023, while Morocco, Egypt and Senegal are also among the pre-tournament favorites.
High-profile players such as Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi and Victor Osimhen are expected to appear, and the 2025 edition is expected to feature top-level football and storylines that go beyond the pitch.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming AFCON.
What are the important dates? Where will the AFCON finals be held?
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 begins on Sunday, with hosts Morocco taking on Comoros in the opening match.
The final will be played on January 18th at the 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, concluding the 52-match tournament.
Group stage: December 21-31 Round of 16: January 3-6 Quarter finals: January 9, 10 Semi-finals: January 14 Third place match: January 17 Final: January 18
Why is AFCON 2025 starting in December?
The tournament in Morocco was scheduled to be held in June, but it clashed with the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, which was being held in the United States at the time.
This will be the first time that AFCON will be held over the Christmas and New Year period.
Where will the competition be held?
Morocco will host the 35th AFCON in nine venues across six cities, the largest number ever for an AFCON.
Guinea was originally scheduled to host the tournament, but the West African country, one of the poorest on the continent, was stripped of hosting rights over concerns about its readiness.
The 2025 Games will be the second time Morocco has hosted the African Championships, after 1988.
Here is a list of venues and cities:
⚽ Agadir: Adrar Stadium (capacity: 45,480)
⚽Casablanca: Stade Mohammed V (capacity: 67,000 people)
⚽Fes: Fez Stadium (capacity: 45,000 people)
⚽Marrakech: Marrakech Stadium (capacity: 45,240 people)
⚽ Rabat: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (capacity: 69,500 people)
⚽ Rabat: Moulay Hassan Stadium (capacity: 22,000 people)
⚽Rabat: Rabat Olympic Stadium (capacity: 21,000 people)
⚽ Rabat: Al-Balid Stadium (capacity: 18,000)
⚽ Tangier: Ibn Battuta Stadium (capacity: 75,600 people)
How many teams are participating?
The tournament will feature 24 teams from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Defending champions Ivory Coast, record seven-time champions Egypt, giants Morocco and Nigeria are among the participants.
The countries are divided into six groups:
⚽ Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
⚽ Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
⚽Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
⚽Group D: Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Benin, Botswana
⚽Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
⚽Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
What is the tournament format?
Each team will play a round-robin match, with the top two teams in each group and the top four third-place teams advancing to the knockout stage, which begins in the round of 16.
This is followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. A match for third place will also be held between the two teams that lost in the semi-finals.
In the knockout stage, if the match is tied at the end of regular match time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played and penalties will be assessed if necessary.
The complete AFCON 2025 match schedule can be found here.
When was the player released to AFCON?
FIFA announced in early December that clubs would only be required to release players from December 15, one week later than the standard international window. The decision meant AFCON teams had less than a week to prepare once all players were in place, creating a logistical challenge for coaches and organizers.
FIFA said the shortened publication period was agreed in consultation with CAF and other stakeholders to “reduce the impact on various stakeholders”, following the same approach taken for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, without providing further details.
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet said FIFA was prioritizing European clubs, showing a lack of respect for African football. “Everyone in Europe thinks African football is not important,” he added. “It shows a lack of respect and it makes me angry.”
The late notification was also criticized by coaches, given that the dates for the AFCON finals were announced in June last year, giving FIFA plenty of time to make a ruling.
Who are the previous AFCON champions?
Egypt has won AFCON seven times and is Africa’s most successful country. However, the Pharaohs have not won a title since 2010.
Cameroon are the second most successful team with five titles, followed by Ghana with four, but will be absent this year after failing to qualify.
Nigeria and Ivory Coast each have three wins, with the latter defeating the former in the final of the last tournament.
Since the tournament began in 1957, as many as 15 countries have won.
Why is AFCON important?
The African Cup of Nations brings together the continent’s strongest teams, including those capable of competing on the world stage in events such as the FIFA World Cup.
Seven teams competing in AFCON 2025 (Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia) have also qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“AFCON is special because it reflects the rich culture of our continent. Every edition has its own identity, from the fans to the rhythm of the matches,” former Zambian player Christopher Katongo, who led AFCON to the title in 2012, told CAFOnline.
“This is not just a matter of football. It is a matter of pride, history and national representation. African football is constantly improving, so the level of competition continues to increase, which makes every tournament a new challenge.”
“AFCON has become a global showcase for African talent,” he added.
For hosts Morocco, the tournament will serve as an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and a proper preparation period for the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted with Spain and Portugal.
Who is the favorite to win AFCON 2025?
Host Morocco and defending champion Ivory Coast are the favorites to win.
Morocco, the world’s 11th-ranked country, Africa’s highest-ranked country, is on a roll, extending its record-breaking winning streak to 18 last month.
Widely regarded as part of the golden generation and the surprise package of reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the North Africans will also enjoy the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd as they aim to win their first title in 50 years.
Title holders Ivory Coast, who dominated Nigeria in the final on home soil in 2023, will enter this year’s tournament with high spirits. The Elephants finished the qualifying stage top of their group without conceding a goal in 10 games, clinching their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in impressive fashion.
Egypt, led by Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, could also be a team to watch. Other teams to watch include Senegal, Tunisia, and Algeria.
How much is the prize money at AFCON?
The prize money is the same as last time, with the winner receiving $7 million and the runner-up receiving $4 million.
The total prize pool for the tournament is $32 million.
Where can I buy tickets and watch the tournament?
Tickets were made available on CAF’s official platform in mid-October, and the federation said 298,000 tickets were sold in the first two stages, with buyers in 106 countries around the world. The third phase was announced in mid-November.
Tickets for the finals, which start at about $43, sold out in the third stage. All in all, the cheapest ticket available for the game costs just over $10.
Regional broadcasters including Channel 4, beIN Sport, SuperSport and Canal+ will be broadcasting the tournament.
Al Jazeera Sports will provide live text updates and match time commentary for selected matches of AFCON 2025, including the semi-finals and final.
