Africa Cup of Nations 2025:The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is also referred to as the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, has become a major event not only for football fans in Africa but also for those as far as other continents. The tournament held in Morocco is going to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, and it is indeed going to be a festival comprising 24 nations fighting one another for the title of the best in Africa.
Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Format
In the first round of AFCON 2025, the 24 teams are grouped into six with each group (A to F) consisting of four teams. After the group stage, the two best teams from each group along with the four best third-placed teams will move forward into the Round of 16, then there will be quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place playoff, and the grand final is planned for January 18, 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Morocco is the proud host of the event and is planning to play it in 9 stadiums located in 6 cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Fès, and Tangier.
Group Stage Action: Results and Standings
The group phase delivered compelling fixtures and surprising outcomes:
Group Highlights
Group A enjoyed loud and lively home support for the hosts Morocco, who went through the group with 7 points including a victory against Comoros and a commanding 3, 0 win against Zambia. Mali took the second position, while Comoros and Zambia fought for ranking with close draws.
Group B featured Egypt and South Africa moving on to the next round with the wins they needed and also playing tight matches, in particular Egypts 2, 1 win against Zimbabwe.
In Group F, the two first positions belonged to the defending champions Cte dIvoire and Cameroon, both sides showing characters and class through their matches.
Notable Group Stage Results
A few of the group stage matches to remember were:
Morocco 20 Comoros in the tournament opener, a match where the hosts showed their intentions clearly. Nigeria 32 Tunisia, a fabulous confrontation that demonstrated the Super Eagles attacking power.
Algeria 30 Sudan, a great performance by Algeria to confirm them in the knockout round.
Gabon 23 Ivory Coast, a very close game that had a lot of action in the last minutes and which decided the Group F dynamics.
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Knockout Stage: Fixtures and Schedule
Following a competitive group stage, the Round of 16 fixtures brought further excitement.
Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Round of 16 Schedule
Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mali vs Tunisia
Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Morocco vs Tanzania
- South Africa vs Cameroon
Monday, 5 January 2026
- Egypt vs Benin
- Nigeria vs Mozambique
Tuesday, 6 January 2026
- Algeria vs DR Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso
Later Knockout Stage Schedule
After the Round of 16:
- Quarter-finals are set for 9–10 January 2026
- Semi-finals will take place on 14 January 2026
- The third-place playoff is scheduled for 17 January
- The grand final takes centre stage on 18 January 2026 in Rabat.
The analysis up to this point in the tournament has shown various strategic moves that were made. The other teams such as Algeria and Egypt made use of their well-disciplined defenses to get important wins; on the contrary, Nigeria was on the offensive side and their attacks were a constant danger to all the rivals.
