The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be held between December 21, 2025, and January 18, 2026, promising one whole month of exhilarating football matchups between some of the best teams on the continent. More specifically, 24 teams will be slugging it out for the most prestigious football award on the continent, which will be hosted by Morocco.
The AFCON 2025 will be the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament. If history is anything to go by, the competitive nature of the tournament and the caliber of teams (and players) scheduled to participate suggest that fans are in for an exciting footballing experience. In this guide, we will review all you need to know about this competition, including the key matches to look forward to. We will also analyze the chances of some teams in the competition and predict how well they’re likely to fare.
Road to AFCON 2025
The journey to selecting the 24 teams for the AFCON finals has been both eventful and exciting. It began with the preliminary and group stage competition, with 48 teams divided into 12 competing groups.
At the end of the qualifiers, 24 teams emerged, all of which had previously participated in the tournament at one point or another. Host Morocco earned an automatic spot in the finals but still participated in the qualifiers.
Egypt is in the competition, along with their North African neighbors, Tunisia, who are appearing for the 22nd time. Tunisia also holds the record for the longest consecutive participation in the competition. However, the competition will also see some countries that haven’t been around for a while making a return. They include:
- Comoros
- Gabon
- Sudan
- Zimbabwe
- Benin
- Uganda
These countries are returning after missing the last edition of the competition. Four-time AFCON champions Ghana surprisingly didn’t make the cut. Other popular teams that missed out on the competition include Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Guinea.
Key Matches to Watch
As mentioned earlier, the majority of the teams in the 2025 AFCON are regulars with significant experience playing in this competition. In fact, the draw held on January 27, 2025, revealed some intriguing matchups from the group stage. We can expect clashes between traditional powerhouses as well as several underdog battles.
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Some of the significant matches to look out for, at least for the group stage, include:
Morocco vs Comoros
A match between Comoros and host Morocco will set the tone for the competition. While Morocco will leverage a home crowd advantage to potentially launch the campaign in style, Comoros has been in the competition before as well, managing to reach the round of 16 on their first appearance in 2021.
Cameroon vs Ivory Coast
Fans will be treated to a battle of the bigwigs right from the group stage with a highly anticipated matchup between two West African giants. However, these countries first faced each other in the 1970s. This year, Cameroon will be looking to revenge their more recent losses against Ivory Coast, having been knocked out in 2006 and 2015 by the Elephants. There is no doubt that this will be a tightly contested matchup.
Related: Cote d’Ivoire Withdraw As Host Of U-20 AFCON
Nigeria vs Tunisia
West African giant Nigeria and tournament favorite Tunisia are both in Group C, which means they’ll be facing off against each other early in the competition. These two have some of the best records in the competition and boast a wealth of talent, making a match between them one to look forward to.
South Africa vs Egypt
The pharaohs, led by a highly in-form Mohamed Salah, will face off against South Africa on match day two in a clash that will probably determine who emerges at the top of the table in group B.
Tanzania vs Uganda
While this is more of a battle of underdogs than a clash of titans, a Tanzania vs Uganda clash is definitely a historic match. Some would consider this a preview of the next AFCON edition, which both countries will be co-hosting.
Team Chances
Although there are clear favorites, any of the 24 teams that entered into this competition have a fair chance of emerging as winners. However, some of the top teams to watch out for include:
Ivory Coast
As the defending champions, everyone expects Ivory Coast to pull out the best performance possible in this tournament. The team qualified a close second in its group and has a squad strong enough to defend its championship.
Morocco
Host Morocco is a strong contender for this competition. All eyes are on the Atlas Lions to deliver a well-organized competition and a thrilling performance on the pitch.
Nigeria
Despite recent inconsistencies, Nigeria’s depth of talent is undeniable. Not only were the Super Eagles runner-ups in the last edition, but the country’s depth of talent, which includes the best players in the continent for two years in a row (Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman), makes them a strong candidate for the title.
Egypt
With Mohamed Salah leading the charge, Egypt remains a formidable force in the tournament. They qualified top of Group C, but are in for a tough competition facing off against great teams like South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
Underdogs to Watch
AFCON has always been full of surprises, with many teams emerging out of nowhere and delivering impressive performances. Many of the so-called underdogs in this year’s edition have significant experience playing in this competition. Countries like Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Zambia are definitely worth watching.
The table below is a list of teams that are currently in the competition and the number of times they have won the tournament in the past.
| Teams | Number of AFCON Trophies Won |
| Egypt | 7 |
| Cameroon | 5 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 |
| Nigeria | 3 |
| Algeria | 2 |
| Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Zambia, Sudan, DR Congo | 1 |
Conclusion
The Africa Cup of Nations is still several months away, but from all indications, it is gearing up to be an eventful tournament, especially considering the quality of teams involved. With the group stage fixtures now available, fans can begin counting down the days and looking out for specific matches that might interest them.
