FULL BREAKDOWN: ALL 52 AFCON FIXTURES, KNOCKOUT PATH, AND KEY GROUP BATTLES
The 2025 AFCON in Morocco promises drama! Get the full schedule, group breakdown, and see how the massive $32 million prize money will be distributed across the 24 teams.
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is coming to Morocco for the first time since 1988! The tournament, featuring 24 teams, will bring some excitement during the cooler months in North Africa.
Since 2019, the tournament has expanded. A lot of the top teams from the continent will be there, but Ghana won’t be, since they didn't make it through qualifications.
The Ivory Coast will try to keep its title after winning at home two years ago. You can always count on this tournament to have great stories and drama.
Here's a quick look at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations:
Start: Sunday, December 21, 2025
Final: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Where: Morocco—nine stadiums in six cities
Watch it on beIN Sport, SuperSport, Canal+, and others (TBD). (TBD).
Prizes: The winner gets $7 million. The total prize money is $32 million.
Who won last time?: Ivory Coast (2023)
2025 Africa Cup of Nations Schedule:
The first match is on Sunday, December 21, at the updated Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat. Morocco will play against Comoros.
After that, there are 51 more matches, with 24 teams in group and knockout rounds over the next month.
The final match will be on Sunday, January 18, at the same place in Rabat.
(Times are Moroccan, GMT+1, and could change.)
Group Stage
Sunday, December 21
Group A: Morocco vs. Comoros – 8:00 PM
Monday, December 22
Group A: Mali vs. Zambia – 3:00 PM
Group B: South Africa vs. Angola – 6:00 PM
Group B: Egypt vs. Zimbabwe – 9:00 PM
Tuesday, December 23
Group D: DR Congo vs Benin – 1:30 PM
Group D: Senegal vs. Botswana – 4:00 PM
Group C: Nigeria vs.Tanzania – 6:30 PM
Group C: Tunisia vs. Uganda – 9:00 PM
Wednesday, December 24
Group E: Burkina Faso vs. Equatorial Guinea – 1:30 PM
Group E: Algeria vs. Sudan – 4:00 PM
Group F: Ivory Coast vs. Mozambique – 6:30 PM
Group F: Cameroon vs. Gabon – 9:00 PM
Friday, December 26
Group B: Angola vs. Zimbabwe – 1:30 PM
Group B: Egypt vs. South Africa – 4:00 PM
Group A: Zambia vs. Comoros – 6:30 PM
Group A: Morocco vs. Mali – 9:00 PM
Saturday, December 27
Group D: Benin vs Botswana – 1:30 PM
Group D: Senegal vs. DR Congo – 4:00 PM
Group C: Uganda vs. Tanzania – 6:30 PM
Group C: Nigeria vs. Tunisia – 9:00 PM
Sunday, December 28
Group F: Gabon vs. Mozambique – 1:30 PM
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs. Sudan – 4:00 PM
Group E: Algeria vs. Burkina Faso – 6:30 PM
Group F: Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon – 9:00 PM
Monday, December 29
Group B: Zimbabwe vs. South Africa – 5:00 PM
Group B: Angola vs Egypt – 5:00 PM
Group A: Zambia vs. Morocco – 8:00 PM
Group A: Comoros vs. Mali – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, December 30
Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria – 5:00 PM
Group C: Tanzania vs. Tunisia – 5:00 PM
Group D: Botswana vs. DR Congo – 8:00 PM
Group D: Benin vs. Senegal – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, December 31
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria – 5:00 PM
Group E: Sudan vs. Burkina Faso – 5:00 PM
Group F: Gabon vs. Ivory Coast – 8:00 PM
Group F: Mozambique vs. Cameroon – 8:00 PM
Round of 16
Saturday, January 3
Match 37: Winner of Group D vs. Third of Groups B/E/F – 5:00 PM
Match 38: Second Group A vs. Second Group C – 8:00 PM
Sunday, January 4
Match 39: Winner of Group A vs. Third of Third of Groups C/D/E – 5:00 PM
Match 40: Second Group B vs Second Group F – 8:00 PM
Monday, January 5
Match 41: Winner of Group B vs. Third of Groups A/C/D – 5:00 PM
Match 42: Winner of Group C vs Third of Groups A/B/F – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, January 6
Match 43: Winner G Group E vs Winner of vs.Second Grvs.Second ofoup D – 5:00 PM
Match 44: Winner of Second of Group F vs. Winner of Second ofvs. Group E – 8:00 PM
Quarter-Finals
Friday, January 9
Match 45: Winner M38 vs Second of vs.Winner M37 – 5:00 PM
Match 46: Winner M40 vs. vs.vs.Winner M39 – 8:00 PM
Saturday, January 10
Match 47: Winner M43 vs Winner M42 – 5:00 PM
Match 48: Winner M41 vs.Winner M44 – 8:00 PM
Semi-Finals
Wednesday, January 14
Match 49: Winner M45 vs. Winner M48 – 6:00 PM
Match 50: Winner M47 vs. Winner M46 – 9:00 PM
Third-Place Playoff
Saturday, January 17
Match 51: Loser M49 vs. Loser M50 – 5:00 PM
Final
Sunday, January 18
Match 52: Winner M49 vs. Winner M50 – 8:00 PM
Teams and Groups
The 24 teams will fight for the title. They earned their spots through qualifiers that ended in November 2024, way before the finals.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups moved on. The draw for the finals was in January 2025.
The 24 teams are in six groups with four teams in each.
How the Tournament Works
The teams in each group will play each other. The top two teams automatically move to the Round of 16.
The four best third-place teams will join them. Usually, three points is enough to get one of these spots.
If teams are tied on points, here's how it's decided: head-to-head results first, then goal difference in all group matches, then goals scored, and if it's still tied, they draw lots.
The knockout stage starts with the Round of 16 and goes until the final. If a match is tied, they'll play extra time and have a penalty shootout if needed.
There's also a third-place playoff match.
Venues
The games will be played in nine stadiums across six cities in Morocco:
Rabat: Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (69 500)
Rabat: Stade Annexe Olympique Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (21,000)
Rabat: Complexe Sportif Prince Hertitier Moulay El Hassan (22 000)
Rabat: Stade El Barid (18,000)
Casablanca: Stade Mohammed V (67 000)
Marrakech: Grand Stade de Marrakech (45 240)
Fès: Complexe Sportif de Fès (45,000)
Tangier: Grand Stade de Tanger (68 000)
Agadir: Grand Stade d’Agadir (45 480)
Prize Money and Sponsors
The winner of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 gets $7 million, which is a big jump from the $4 million in 2021.
Here’s how the prize money breaks down:
Winner: $7,000,000
Runner-up: $4,000,000
Semi-finalists: $2,500,000
Quarter-finalists: $1,300,000
Round of 16: $800,000
Third in Group: $700,000
Fourth in Group: $500,000
Total prize money: $32,000,000
CAF has sponsors for the event, with TotalEnergies as the main one. Others include VISA, PUMA, Orange, 1xBet, Royal Air Maroc, TECNO, QNET, Rexona, Danone, LONACI, Apsonic, Midea, AGL, Laughing Cow, Sidi Ali, and Suzuki.
History
The Africa Cup of Nations started in 1957, even before the European Championships! It began with just three teams: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. South Africa was supposed to be the fourth, but they were kicked out because of apartheid.,
Over the years, the tournament has grown as more countries have become part of CAF.
By 1968, there were eight teams, and that stayed the same for a while.
In 1992, it grew to 12 teams, and they added a quarter-final stage for the first time. Then, in 1996, it jumped to 16 teams, which lasted for over 20 years.
Most recently, in 2019, the tournament went to 24 teams.
Egypt has won the most times, with seven titles. But their last win was in 2010, which was their third in a row after wins in 2006 and 2008. No other team has won three in a row.
Cameroon is next with five wins, followed by Ghana with four (but they haven't won since 1982 and didn't qualify this year). Nigeria and the Ivory Coast each have three wins.
There have been 15 different winners in total. Morocco, which is hosting this year, last won in 1976.
The Trophy
The current Africa Cup of Nations trophy has been used since 2002. It's the third trophy for the championship.
The first one, made of silver, was named after the first CAF president. Ghana got to keep it after winning for the third time in 1978.
Then came the African Unity Cup, which was used from 1980 to 2000. Cameroon won it three times.
The current trophy, gold-plated, was made in Italy and introduced in 2002. Even though Egypt won it three times between 2006 and 2010, they didn't get to keep it.
The Match Ball
The official match ball is made with PUMA’s Orbita 6 technology and is called ITRI. Its design is inspired by Morocco’s zellij art, known for its complicated geometric patterns.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
