AFCON 2026 UNDERDOGS: FIVE OUTSIDERS SET TO SHOCK FAVORITES AND DISRUPT TOURNAMENT
Underdogs like Comoros (unbeaten in qualifying) and Sudan (World Cup qualifier shock) bring tactical discipline and confidence to AFCON 2025, ready to challenge giants.
With AFCON 2025 getting close, some underdog teams might be getting ready to shake things up.
In past tournaments, a few teams that didn't seem strong made it to the knockout rounds, which upset some of the favourites.
Here are some underdogs who could make a splash at the 2025 AFCON.
Zambia
After winning the AFCON trophy in 2012, Zambia is starting to look good again. The Chipolopolo finished first in their qualifying group, ahead of Côte d’Ivoire, the current champions, so they definitely mean business. Their team has a mix of young talent and experienced players, like Patson Daka from Leicester City and captain Lubambo Musonda.
Comoros
Comoros surprised everyone in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers by finishing ahead of Tunisia in their group. This shows how much they've improved since their first appearance in 2021. Coach Stefano Cusin still leads the team, and they depend on a strong defence and quick counterattacks.
Sudan
Sudan did well in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, including a surprising win over DR Congo, which used to be an AFCON semi-finalist. This shows that they're ready to compete with the big teams.
Sudan, once seen as a weak team, is creating a new identity in African soccer. Ghanaian coach John Kwesi Appiah is helping them change, with a focus on young players and a more attacking style.
Mozambique
Mozambique is known for being a tough team to play. The Mambas have been competitive lately because they're tough and determined. With important players like Hélder Pelembe and Reinaldo leading the way, Mozambique has enough talent to aim for more than just the group stage.
Equatorial Guinea
No team can underestimate Equatorial Guinea at AFCON 2025, because they've shown they can surprise anyone.
At the 2023 AFCON, Equatorial Guinea beat Côte d’Ivoire 4-0, proving they can play well under pressure. Coach Juan Micha has built a team that is competitive and knows what it's doing, and that's what makes them stand out.
CRISTIANO RONALDO PROTESTS AL-HILAL'S BENZEMA DEAL BY SKIPPING AL-NASSR LEAGUE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming. Discover why the Al-Nassr star skipped his last match and is now threatening to leave Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main attraction in the Saudi Pro League ever since he landed in the Middle East three years ago. Now, for the first time, it looks like he’s actually thinking about leaving. He’s frustrated. He feels the playing field isn’t level, and it’s starting to get to him.
Here’s the deal: Four clubs in the league—Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli—get their backing straight from the state. But Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday night. Why? He was protesting. He found out Al-Hilal was about to sign Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and that was the last straw. From Ronaldo’s perspective, Al-Hilal keeps getting more freedom to splash cash than everyone else. They’re the current champions, and Ronaldo still hasn’t managed to win his first Saudi title.
Saudi officials tried to calm him down. According to Diario AS, they reached out and argued that most of Al-Hilal’s extra spending comes from Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, not the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Hilal just brought in Kader Meite for €30 million, Saimon Bouabre for €23 million, and now Benzema. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, only managed two free transfers this winter. Sure, they spent a lot more in the summer, but that didn’t seem to matter to Ronaldo.
Reports from Portugal, cited by AS, say Ronaldo’s not ruling anything out—not even leaving Saudi Arabia this summer. That’s despite just signing an extension with Al-Nassr until 2027.
And honestly, he has a point. Since he arrived, Al-Hilal have spent €647 million, while Al-Nassr have shelled out €410 million and Al-Ittihad €365 million. These numbers probably don’t include salaries—and let’s face it, nobody’s making more than Ronaldo. He’s supposed to return on Friday when Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad, but right now, no one really knows if he’ll play or if he’s planning his next move.
N’GOLO KANTE SKIPS TRAINING AS AL-ITTIHAD BLOCK HIS MOVE TO FENERBAHCE OFFICIALLY
N’Golo Kante has gone on strike at Al-Ittihad after a paperwork error blocked his move to Fenerbahce. Can he still sign by Friday?
N’Golo Kanté didn’t show up for Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday, and it’s not hard to see why. He was all set to head to Fenerbahçe, but the deal fell apart at the last minute—apparently because Al-Ittihad messed up some paperwork. Kante was supposed to fly to Istanbul and sign, but thanks to this administrative slip, he’s stuck in limbo. There’s still a shot at reviving the transfer sinceKanté Turkey’s transfer window stays open until Friday, February 6.
Kante was one of the first big European names to jump to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad in 2023 after seven years with Chelsea. He’s been a key player in Jeddah, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 league title and the King’s Cup.
Then, in the middle of the January window, word got out that Fenerbahce wanted him. The Turkish club were eager to add a World Cup winner to their squad. The plan was to swap Kante for Youssef En-Nesyri, who’d head to Saudi Arabia. Everything seemed set until deadline day, when news broke that an error by Al-Ittihad in the Transfer Matching System stopped the transfer cold.
Fenerbahce didn’t hold back. They blamed Al-Ittihad directly, saying they’d done everything right: agreements with the players, medicals, paperwork, all wrapped up on time. But Al-Ittihad entered something wrong in the system, and that was that. Fenerbahçe even asked for an extension and reached out to FIFA, but nothing moved. In the end, the deal died, and Fenerbahçe put out a statement saying they understood the frustration and would keep working to strengthen the squad.
Meanwhile, Kante’s making his feelings clear. According to Ben Jacobs, he skipped training on Tuesday, still hoping the move to Fenerbahce can happen. Santi Aouna says talks between the clubs aren’t dead yet. L’Equipe is reporting that Kanté doesn’t want to play for Al-Ittihad while he waits for FIFA’s decision. With the Turkish window open until Friday, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Kante, though En-Nesyri’s move is off the table for now.