ORIGINALLY scheduled for June to July 2025, the tournament was pushed to the end of the year after Fifa introduced its expanded 32-team Club World Club for that same summer.
This shift means the competition will, for the first time, take place across Christmas and New Year. It also marks Morocco’s second time hosting the event, having last staged it in 1988.
The 35th edition of the biennial tournament will be held across nine venues in six cities, the most ever for an African Cup of Nations (Afcon), four of which are located in the country’s capital, Rabat.
With seven of Africa’s nine confirmed 2026 Fifa World Cup teams participating at this year’s Afcon, the tournament will also serve as a crucial testing ground ahead of next summer’s showpiece in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In many ways, it will also serve as a test event for Morocco, which is set to co-host the Fifa World Cup 2030 alongside Portugal and Spain.
AFCON 2025 MASCOT AND OFFICIAL SONG
The official mascot for Afcon 2025 is Assad, a lively young lion inspired by the historic Atlas lion. His name, which means ‘lion’ in Arabic, reflects strength, pride and leadership, qualities closely linked to both Moroccan heritage and African football.
Designed to be energetic and friendly, Assad represents unity, passion and the youthful spirit of the tournament, serving as a symbol to connect fans across the continent and beyond.
Another distinctive feature of Afcon is its official song, which often blends sounds from across the continent to create a unifying anthem that resonates with fans both within and beyond Africa. While the official song for Afcon 2025 is expected to be released this week ahead of kick off, if previous editions are anything to go by, another classic is on the way.
TEAMS AND PLAYERS TO WATCH AT AFCON 2025
All eyes will be on host nation Morocco, whose squad is widely regarded as a golden generation and will be desperate to secure an Afcon title to cement that legacy.
The North Africans have not won the tournament since 1976. After making history as the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a Fifa World Cup 2022, Morocco suffered a shock Round of 16 exit at the last Afcon tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, despite being considered favourites.
They quickly put that disappointment behind them by becoming the first African side to qualify for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
Head coach Walid Regragui will be hoping to have team captain and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Achraf Hakimi, the reigning African footballer of the year, fit for the tournament.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender picked up an ankle injury in November and now faces a race against time to be ready for the competition.
Another team carrying significant pressure into the tournament is Nigeria. The three-time champions came agonisingly close in Côte d’Ivoire, falling to the host nation in the final. But a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, where they failed to reach back-to-back tournaments, means only lifting the trophy in Morocco will feel like proper compensation.
Captain William Troost-Ekong, the player of the tournament at the last Afcon, announced his retirement from international football just weeks before this edition, passing the leadership baton to Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman, winners of the African footballer of the year awards in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Afcon 2021 (played in 2022) champions Senegal find themselves in Group D, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are just one intercontinental play-off against New Caledonia away from qualifying for their first Fifa World Cup in 51 years.
Familiar names such as London 2012 Olympian Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nicolas Jackson and Idrissa Gueye were instrumental in securing Senegal’s place at the 2026 World Cup, where they kept eight clean sheets in 10 qualifying matches. They will be hoping that the same defensive solidity can carry them all the way in Morocco.
Defending champion Ivory Coast are another team to watch. They took an unlikely route to glory on home soil at the 2023 edition, held at the start of 2024, sacking their head coach after losing two of their first three group games. Assistant coach Emerse Faé took over as interim boss when their unlikely place in the knockouts was confirmed by results elsewhere, and the hosts went on a fairytale run to claim their third continental title.
Faé has since been appointed on a permanent basis and guided the team through a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign. Inspired by Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, Elephants are widely tipped to be contenders once again.
MO SALAH TO LEAD EGYPT CHALLENGE
Then there is London 2012 Olympian Mohamed Salah and Egypt, the record seven-time champions who have not lifted the trophy since 2010, when they completed an unprecedented hat-trick of consecutive Afcon titles. Salah, then an 18-year-old learning his trade at Al-Mokawloon, has since become one of the greatest players of his generation, yet Afcon success continues to elude him. He has reached two finals (2017 and 2021) but lost both, and with Egypt already qualified for the World Cup, Afcon 2025 is widely seen as a last major opportunity for the 33-year-old Liverpool forward to secure the title that would cement his status as the country’s greatest-ever footballer.
He will have able support in the likes of Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed of FC Nantes, who are expected to provide attacking dynamism and depth.
Five-time champions Cameroon also enter the tournament in the spotlight. A turbulent World Cup qualifying campaign in which they failed to reach the finals was followed by even more upheaval. Federation president Samuel Eto’o, the Barcelona legend and Olympic gold medallist from Sydney 2000, replaced Belgian coach Marc Brys with local trainer David Pagou just three weeks before the tournament.
Pagou then omitted star goalkeeper Andre Onana and influential captain Vincent Aboubakar from the squad for Morocco.
Even so, Cameroon are not short of talent. Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo is expected to be the focal point of their push for a sixth continental crown.
South Africa, who surprised many by finishing third in Côte d’Ivoire, will believe they can go even further this time. The side secured World Cup qualification ahead of Nigeria, with the core of the squad made up of locally based players whose cohesion and understanding has become the envy of many national teams.
Afcon 2019 champions Algeria and perennial contenders Tunisia are also expected to mount strong challenges for the coveted trophy in African football.
FIXTURES:
Group stages:
Sunday, 21 December
Morocco vs Comoros, 20h00 (Group A)
Monday, 22 December
Mali vs Zambia, 15h00 (Group A)
South Africa vs Angola, 18h00 (Group B)
Egypt vs Zimbabwe, 21h00 (Group B)
Tuesday, 23 December
DR Congo vs Benin, 13h30 (Group D)
Senegal vs Botswana, 16h00 (Group D)
Nigeria vs Tanzania, 18h30 (Group C)
Tunisia vs Uganda, 21h00 (Group C)
Wednesday, 24 December
Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, 13h30 (Group E)
Algeria vs Sudan, 16h00 (Group E)
Ivory Coast vs Mozambique, 18h30 (Group F)
Cameroon vs Gabon, 20h00 (Group F)
– OLYMPIC.COM
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