Get ready, football fans! The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 is just around the corner, promising a thrilling display of talent and competition. This prestigious tournament will be held in Morocco, from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Let's dive into the details!
This biennial event, the 35th edition, will feature 24 of Africa's top men's national football teams battling it out across nine venues in six different cities. The stakes are high, the rivalries are fierce, and the excitement is palpable!
The teams are divided into six groups (A-F), each containing four teams. The format is a round-robin in the group stage, meaning every team plays every other team in their group once.
After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the knockout stage. In addition, the four best third-placed teams will also earn a spot, keeping the competition intense and unpredictable.
Here's a breakdown of the groups and their fixtures:
Group A:
* Morocco (hosts), Mali, Zambia, Comoros
* **Sunday, December 21, 2025:** Morocco vs Comoros, **20:00**
* **Monday, December 22, 2025:** Mali vs Zambia, **15:00**
* **Friday, December 26, 2025:** Zambia vs Comoros, **18:30**; Morocco vs Mali, **21:00**
* **Monday, December 29, 2025:** Zambia vs Morocco, **20:00**; Comoros vs Mali, **20:00**
**Group A Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Comoros | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Mali | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Group B:
* Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
* **Monday, December 22, 2025:** South Africa vs Angola, **18:00**; Egypt vs Zimbabwe, **21:00**
* **Friday, December 26, 2025:** Angola vs Zimbabwe, **13:30**; Egypt vs South Africa, **16:00**
* **Monday, December 29, 2025:** Zimbabwe vs South Africa, **17:00**; Angola vs Egypt, **17:00**
**Group B Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Angola | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Egypt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Group C:
* Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
* **Tuesday, December 23, 2025:** Nigeria vs Tanzania, **17:30**; Tunisia vs Uganda, **20:00**
* **Saturday, December 27, 2025:** Uganda vs Tanzania, **17:30**; Nigeria vs Tunisia, **20:00**
* **Tuesday, December 30, 2025:** Uganda vs Nigeria, **16:00**; Tanzania vs Tunisia, **16:00**
**Group C Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | Uganda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Group D:
* Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
* **Tuesday, December 23, 2025:** DR Congo vs Benin, **12:30**; Senegal vs Botswana, **15:00**
* **Saturday, December 27, 2025:** Benin vs Botswana, **12:30**; Senegal vs DR Congo, **15:00**
* **Tuesday, December 30, 2025:** Botswana vs DR Congo, **19:00**; Benin vs Senegal, **19:00**
**Group D Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Benin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Botswana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | DR Congo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | Senegal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Group E:
* Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
* **Wednesday, December 24, 2025:** Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, **12:30**; Algeria vs Sudan, **15:00**
* **Sunday, December 28, 2025:** Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan, **15:00**; Algeria vs Burkina Faso, **17:30**
* **Wednesday, December 31, 2025:** Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, **16:00**; Sudan vs Burkina Faso, **16:00**
**Group E Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Algeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Burkina Faso | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | Equatorial Guinea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | Sudan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Group F:
* Ivory Coast (holders), Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
* **Wednesday, December 24, 2025:** Côte d'Ivoire vs Mozambique, **17:30**; Cameroon vs Gabon, **20:00**
* **Sunday, December 28, 2025:** Gabon vs Mozambique, **12:30**; Côte d'Ivoire vs Cameroon, **20:00**
* **Wednesday, December 31, 2025:** Gabon vs Côte d'Ivoire, **19:00**; Mozambique vs Cameroon, **19:00**
**Group F Standings** (as of now):
* Position | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts
* 1 | Cameroon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 2 | Côte d'Ivoire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 3 | Gabon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
* 4 | Mozambique | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
But here's where it gets exciting! The knockout stage will feature some epic clashes. Here's a glimpse of the schedule:
Round of 16:
- Saturday, January 3, 2026: Group D winners vs 3rd place (B/E/F), 17:00; Group A runners-up vs Group C runners-up, 20:00
- Sunday, January 4, 2026: Group A winners vs 3rd place (C/D/E), 17:00; Group B runners-up vs Group F runners-up, 20:00
- Monday, January 5, 2026: Group B winners vs 3rd place (A/C/D), 17:00; Group C winners vs 3rd place (A/B/F), 20:00
- Tuesday, January 6, 2026: Group E winners vs Group D runners-up, 17:00; Group F winners vs Group E runners-up, 20:00
Quarter-finals:
- Friday, January 9, 2026: Winner R16-2 vs Winner R16-1, 17:00; Winner R16-4 vs Winner R16-3, 21:00
- Saturday, January 10, 2026: Winner R16-7 vs Winner R16-6, 17:00; Winner R16-5 vs Winner R16-8, 20:00
Semi-finals:
- Wednesday, January 14, 2026: Semi-final 1, 18:00; Semi-final 2, 21:00
Third-Place Play-off:
- Saturday, January 17, 2026: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2, 17:00
Final:
- Sunday, January 18, 2026: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2, 20:00 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat
And this is the part most people miss... The winner of the tournament will not only claim the coveted title but also secure a place in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
What are your predictions for AFCON 2025? Which teams do you think will shine, and which matchups are you most excited to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
