While the competition to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup has been a major focus of international soccer lately, another significant international event is fast approaching.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations commences in Morocco on December 21, with the Ivory Coast aiming to retain the championship they memorably captured by rallying to defeat Nigeria in February 2024.
Where will the 2025 AFCON take place?
Where will AFCON 2025 take place?
Morocco is set to host the AFCON tournament for the second time, the first being the 1988 tournament where they progressed to the semi-finals, eventually losing to Cameroon, who were crowned champions.
The return of the competition to Morocco has been a lengthy process. The nation was originally slated to host the 2015 edition but withdrew due to concerns about the Western African Ebola virus epidemic.
Initially, Guinea was awarded the tournament, but in 2022, they were stripped of hosting rights due to insufficient progress in their preparations. Morocco was then confirmed as the new host in September 2023.
Tournament format
How many teams will be at AFCON 2025?
This year’s competition will again include 24 teams, adhering to the format implemented since the 2019 edition, which saw an increase from 16 participating nations.
The format consists of six groups, each containing four teams. The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify, along with the four highest-ranked third-place teams, to advance to the round of 16.
These third-place teams will be ranked based on their points, followed by goal difference, and then goals scored, to determine the four qualifying teams.
Dates and fixtures
What are the dates for AFCON 2025?
AFCON 2025 is scheduled to occur from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
|
Group stage |
December 21 – December 31, 2025 |
|
Round of 16 |
January 3 – January 6, 2026 |
|
Quarter-finals |
January 9 – January 10, 2026 |
|
Semi-finals |
January 14, 2026 |
|
Third place play-off |
January 17, 2026 |
|
Final |
January 18, 2026 |
Qualified countries
Which countries have qualified for AFCON 2025?
Despite being automatically qualified as the host nation, Morocco chose to participate in the qualification tournament, where they finished at the top of their group.
All 24 teams that have qualified have competed in the tournament before, with Tunisia achieving qualification for the 17th consecutive time, extending their record for the most consecutive appearances.
Notably absent is Ghana, as the Black Stars ended at the bottom of Group F, failing to qualify for the first time since 2004.
Groups
What are the groups for AFCON 2025?
Group A:
Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Group B:
Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C:
Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Group D:
Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
Group E:
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F:
Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Kick-off times
What are the kick-off times for AFCON 2025?
During the group stage, matches are scheduled across four different time slots, with Morocco observing CET, which is one hour ahead of GMT.
The group stage matches will be held at 13:00, 15:30, 18:30, and 20:00, local time.
For the knockout stages, the matches will take place at 18:00 and 20:30, while the third-place play-off and the final match will commence at 20:00.
Mascots
The official mascot for AFCON 2025 has not yet been revealed, but it is expected to be announced soon, succeeding Akwaba the elephant, who was the mascot for the 2023 edition.
Stadiums
The stadiums selected for AFCON 2025 are:
- Adrar Stadium, Agadir, 45,000
- Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, 45,000
- Fez Stadium, Fez, 45,000
- Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, 45,000
- Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, 68,700
- Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat, 22,000
- Rabat Olympic Stadium, Rabat, 21,000
- Al Barid Stadium, Rabat, 18,000
- Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, 75,000
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