Coupe d’Afrique des Nations de Football 2025 – Dates, Teams, Results

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, commonly referred to as AFCON 2025 or CAN 2025, marked the 35th edition of Africa’s premier international football tournament. Hosted by Morocco, the competition ran from December 21, 2025, through January 18, 2026, representing the first time the tournament stretched across the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The scheduling shift resulted from conflicts with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, forcing CAF to adjust its traditional January-to-February window.

Morocco’s selection as host came after CAF awarded the tournament rights on September 27, 2023. The North African nation had previously hosted AFCON in 1988 and stepped in following Guinea’s removal from the hosting role in 2022 due to inadequate infrastructure. With twenty-four national teams competing across nine venues, the tournament delivered weeks of high-stakes football that captured continental and global attention.

From the opening match to the final whistle in Rabat, AFCON 2025 showcased the depth and competitiveness of African football. The defending champions entered the tournament with momentum, while several debutant and returning nations sought to upset established powers during the group stage and subsequent knockout rounds.

When and Where is AFCON 2025?

The tournament kicked off on December 21, 2025, with Morocco facing Comoros at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat. The final match took place on January 18, 2026, at the same venue. This marked a significant departure from AFCON’s traditional scheduling, as the tournament now overlapped with the Christmas and New Year period for the first time in its history. CAF made this adjustment to avoid a direct scheduling clash with the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which demanded its own window later in the year.

Nine stadiums across six Moroccan cities hosted matches, with venues announced on January 27, 2025, by CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The Grand Stade d’Agadir in Agadir and the iconic Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat served as key locations throughout the competition. All fixtures adhered to GMT kick-off times for international broadcasts, with UK coverage provided by Sky Sports.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Dates: December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026
• Host: Morocco
• Teams: 24 national sides
• Defending Champions: Ivory Coast (2023 winners)

Schedule Highlights

The complete fixture list was published on CAF’s official website, with a detailed match schedule PDF available for download. Rest days were built into the calendar between group stage rounds and ahead of knockout matches, ensuring player welfare remained a priority despite the compressed timeframe. Sky Sports provided comprehensive coverage throughout the tournament, listing all GMT kick-off times for UK audiences. Fans seeking live streams and additional viewing options could access match content through the official CAF platform.

Venues and Host Cities

CAF confirmed the venue strategy in January 2025, distributing matches across six cities to maximize infrastructure use and fan accessibility. Morocco’s experience hosting the 2023 Club World Cup proved valuable in preparing these facilities for AFCON-level competition. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation coordinated closely with CAF to ensure all stadiums met international broadcast and safety standards.

Which Teams Have Qualified for AFCON 2025?

Twenty-four teams secured their places at AFCON 2025 through the CAF qualifying campaign, which ran from September 2023 through November 2024. The qualification process involved multiple rounds of competitive matches across African regions, with national federations fielding their strongest squads in pursuit of a continental finals berth.

Those interested in following other national team campaigns across different competitions can explore Portugal National Football Team Games for additional coverage of international football schedules and results.

Group Stage Draw Results

The group stage draw allocated teams into six groups of four. The top two finishers from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, advanced to the round of 16 knockout stage. This format maintained the structure used since AFCON expanded to twenty-four participants, ensuring competitive balance while maximizing the number of participating nations with a realistic path to the title.

• Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
• Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
• Group C: Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda
• Group D: Senegal, Benin, Botswana, DR Congo
• Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
• Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

What is the Format and Draw for AFCON 2025?

AFCON 2025 employed a standard 24-team format consisting of a group stage followed by single-elimination knockout rounds. The structure mirrored previous editions, with six groups of four teams each. Advancement criteria remained unchanged: the top two finishers per group plus the four best third-placed teams progressed to the round of 16. Knockout ties that remained level after regulation proceeded directly to a penalty shootout.

The complete format was announced on January 31, 2025, by CAF officials. Sky Sports and other broadcasters published the full schedule with confirmed dates, venues, and kick-off times. Viewers in the United Kingdom could follow matches through Sky Sports’ linear television coverage and digital platforms, with the CAF official website providing supplementary live scoring and match reports.

Knockout Stage Progression

How to Watch AFCON 2025

Broadcast coverage extended across multiple platforms throughout the tournament. Sky Sports served as the primary UK broadcaster, airing matches on television and streaming through its digital services. The official CAF schedule page provided live results, match statistics, and official communications. International audiences accessed coverage through regional rights holders, with the CAF digital ecosystem offering supplementary content including match highlights, team profiles, and post-match analysis.

Who is Hosting AFCON 2025?

Morocco became the official host of AFCON 2025 when CAF announced the awarding on September 27, 2023. The decision marked Morocco’s second time hosting the tournament, having previously done so in 1988. This appointment followed the removal of Guinea as the original host in 2022, cited due to insufficient infrastructure and preparation concerns identified during CAF inspections.

The Moroccan bid succeeded partly because the kingdom had already demonstrated its capacity to host major football events, most notably the 2023 Club World Cup. This recent track record assured CAF that Morocco possessed the necessary stadiums, transport networks, hotel capacity, and organizational expertise to deliver an event of AFCON’s scale. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation assumed responsibility for local coordination, working alongside CAF’s continental administration to manage logistics, security, and fan experience across all venues.

The selection process reflected broader trends in continental tournament hosting, where nations with established football infrastructure increasingly serve as reliable anchors for CAF’s flagship competition. Morocco’s geographic position in North Africa also offered favorable travel connections for supporters traveling from across the continent and beyond.

Key Match Results and Tournament Timeline

The group stage delivered compelling football from the opening day. Morocco began its campaign with a 2–0 victory over Comoros on December 21. Subsequent days brought dramatic results, including Nigeria’s 2–1 win over Tanzania and Senegal’s emphatic 3–0 defeat of Botswana. Tunisia posted one of the tournament’s standout results, defeating Uganda 3–1 in their opening Group C fixture.

Selected Group Stage Results

• December 21: Morocco 2–0 Comoros
• December 22: South Africa 2–1 Zimbabwe; Egypt 2–1 Zimbabwe
• December 23: Nigeria 2–1 Tanzania; Tunisia 3–1 Uganda; Senegal 3–0 Botswana
• December 24: Algeria 3–0 Sudan; Ivory Coast 1–0 Mozambique; Cameroon 1–0 Gabon
• December 26: Morocco 1–1 Mali; Egypt 1–0 South Africa
• December 27: Nigeria 3–2 Tunisia; Ivory Coast 1–1 Cameroon
• December 29: Zambia 0–3 Morocco
• December 30: Uganda 1–3 Nigeria
• December 31: Gabon 2–3 Ivory Coast

As the group stage concluded, teams that advanced to the knockout rounds faced intensified pressure. The quarter-finals produced decisive outcomes, with Senegal defeating Mali 1–0 and Morocco eliminating Cameroon 2–0. Algeria’s elimination at the hands of Nigeria continued the North African nation’s challenging tournament, while Egypt advanced past the reigning champions Ivory Coast in a tightly contested match.

Semi-finals and Final Path

The semi-finals set up two contrasting matchups. Senegal overcame Egypt 1–0 to secure its place in the final, while Morocco defeated Nigeria in a penalty shootout following a 0–0 draw. The final, scheduled for January 18, saw Senegal face Morocco at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat. A third-place match between Egypt and Nigeria took place the day prior.

For comprehensive schedule updates and official results, the CAF schedule page served as the definitive resource throughout the tournament. For those interested in the specific player performances and game details, Estadístiques del partit Warriors vs Thunder offers a comprehensive breakdown.

Established Facts and Areas Under Review

The following table distinguishes confirmed tournament details from information that remained subject to official updates as qualification and preparation progressed.

The Broader Context of AFCON 2025

The scheduling of AFCON 2025 over the winter period represented a significant shift in African football’s calendar landscape. Traditionally, the tournament occupied a January-to-February window, but the expansion of FIFA’s Club World Cup created unavoidable pressure on that datespace. CAF’s decision to move AFCON 2025 forward addressed this conflict while maintaining the event’s prestige and broadcast value during a period traditionally strong for sports viewership globally.

Those tracking international football developments across different confederations may find it useful to explore how various World Cup qualifying campaigns have adapted to accommodate crowded football calendars.

Morocco’s successful bid underscored the nation’s ambitions in sports hosting. The tournament leveraged infrastructure developed for the 2023 Club World Cup, where Moroccan clubs and facilities demonstrated their readiness for world-class competition. This continuity benefited organizers, who could build upon existing operational frameworks rather than starting preparations from scratch.

The impact on club football calendars across Europe and other continents drew attention throughout the tournament. Several players who featured prominently for their national sides at AFCON 2025 represented clubs in top European leagues, creating ongoing dialogue about player release obligations and international match calendars. These discussions reflected broader tensions between club and country football administration that continued to shape planning for future editions.

Sources and Official Announcements

CAF’s official communications provided the primary authoritative source for tournament details. The organization’s website published match schedules, qualification updates, and venue announcements throughout the preparation period. The official match schedule PDF contained comprehensive fixture information including dates, venues, and kick-off times across all time zones.

CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation officially confirmed nine venues across six cities on January 27, 2025, finalizing the infrastructure plan for the tournament.

— CAF Announcement, January 2025

Sky Sports served as the principal United Kingdom broadcaster, providing comprehensive coverage with all times listed in GMT. Match previews and recaps appeared across multiple platforms, including official YouTube channels that summarized fixtures and group stage developments. Wikipedia’s dedicated AFCON 2025 article compiled verified historical and logistical data, cross-referenced against CAF’s official outputs.

The draw for the group stage allocated twenty-four qualified teams into six groups of four, with the top two from each group and four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout rounds.

— CAF Qualifiers Documentation

Summary

AFCON 2025 brought together twenty-four African nations for a month-long competition hosted by Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. The tournament’s first-ever staging over the Christmas and New Year period reflected the evolving international football calendar, with CAF adapting to accommodate a crowded schedule. Morocco’s hosting drew upon extensive infrastructure and event management experience gained through previous major football tournaments. The standard 24-team format delivered competitive group stage action followed by knockout matches that determined Senegal and Morocco as the final contenders.

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