AFCON 2025 QUARTER-FINALS: FOUR BLOCKBUSTER GAMES THAT WILL SHAKE AFRICAN FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND
Get the ultimate AFCON quarter-final guide. We analyse Nigeria’s attack, Morocco’s home pressure, and Senegal’s historic streak.
The Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals start on Friday with four big games that could go either way, making for some interesting contests.
Some teams got here easily, while others struggled, but in the knockout stage, it's all about how you play on the day.
Mali vs. Senegal
Friday, 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT) – Tangier
This West African match is between two familiar teams. Senegal has the bigger stars, but Mali has shown they're fighters who can beat the odds. Mali's coach, Tom Saintfiet, knows how to get the most out of underdog teams and will have his team ready with a smart plan. Then, it's just a matter of doing it right.
Senegal has talent all over the field and has gotten better as the tournament has gone on. They've played Guinea more (53 times) than Mali (40) in international games, and they're ahead in wins 19–8 with 13 draws. They haven't lost to Mali since 1997, a streak of 13 games where they've won four and drawn nine. They only played each other once before in the Cup of Nations, a 1–1 draw in the group stage in 2004.
Mali has drawn four times to get to this point but has a good record in the quarter-finals, winning six of their previous seven games at this stage. Their only loss was to Ivory Coast in extra time two years ago. Senegal is unbeaten in 15 Cup of Nations games, not counting penalty shoot-outs, which is their longest run ever. They last lost to Algeria in the 2019 final.
Cameroon vs. Morocco
Friday, 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT) – Rabat
There will be a lot of pressure on Morocco, the host team, as the tournament gets to the important part. They haven't played their best yet, relying on Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi for goals, who are the only two who have scored for them in the first four games.
Cameroon has been quietly good and has some great young players who have gotten them this far. Morocco often disappoints at the Cup of Nations, last winning 50 years ago, even though they've had some great teams since then. But, they've been hard to beat at home in recent years and have a lot of players with experience in Europe.
These teams haven't played each other much, with only 13 games before. Cameroon has won more, 6–2, with five draws. They've played three times in the Cup of Nations, most recently in 1992, with Cameroon winning two of those games and drawing the other. Cameroon's average ball possession in this tournament (43.2%) is the lowest of all eight teams in the quarter-finals.
Surprisingly, this is only Morocco's fifth time in the continental quarter-finals. They've only moved on once in the previous four, in 2004, when they lost in the final.
Algeria vs. Nigeria
Saturday, 17h00 local time (16h00 GMT)—Marrakech
Nigeria has probably been the best team in the tournament so far, despite a few issues off the field. They've cruised into the quarter-finals, scoring 12 goals, and look a lot better than the team that didn't even qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Algeria hasn't been as flashy, but they've also won all four games, only letting in one goal, so this will be an interesting clash of styles. The teams have played 23 times before, with Algeria winning more, 10–8, with five draws. Nigeria's last win was in a World Cup qualifier in 2016.
This is a repeat of the 2019 Cup of Nations semi-final, which Algeria won 2–1 thanks to a William Troost-Ekong own goal and a late goal from Riyad Mahrez. Since winning in 1990, Algeria has reached six quarter-finals but only moved on twice, finishing fourth in 2010 and winning again in 2019. They were knocked out in the group stage in the last two tournaments without winning a game.
Nigeria is great at this stage of the tournament. Since the quarter-finals started in 1992, they've played 11 games and won 10 of them. Their only loss was to Ghana in 2008. Ademola Lookman is their key player, with seven goals involved (three goals, four assists) in four games in this tournament.
Egypt vs. Ivory Coast
Saturday, 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT)—Agadir
Egypt, which has won the most times (seven), plays against an impressive Ivory Coast team that is fast and talented. Egypt has been steady so far, but feels like they can play even better. Ivory Coast is the defending champion and played great in their last game against Burkina Faso.
Egypt has won more over the years, with 10 wins to Ivory Coast's five, with six draws, but the teams have only played once since 2013. That was in 2021, when Egypt won on penalties after a 0–0 draw.
Egypt has won their last five quarter-final games and six of its 10 overall at this stage. They've let in 99 goals in Cup of Nations history and could reach 100 in this game. Ivory Coast has had mixed results in the quarter-finals, playing 11 and winning seven.
This is a repeat of the 2006 Cup of Nations final, where Egypt won on penalties after a 0–0 draw. Egypt is trying to win their eighth title, having not won since 2010. They then didn't qualify for three tournaments in a row and have since lost finals in 2017 and 2021.
THE VERDICT: WHY ROY KEANE AND JAMIE CARRAGHER RANK THE OLD FIRM ABOVE ALL ENGLISH DERBIES
The Old Firm reigns supreme: Discover why Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher rank Rangers vs Celtic as the world's best derby match.
Rangers and Celtic just got another nod in the never-ending debate over football’s fiercest rivalries.
Some well-known pundits down in England have been weighing in, trying to settle the question of which derby tops them all. Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher, for example, sat down on The Overlap to share their picks. The Old Firm Rangers vs Celtic came up fast. Everyone knows their meetings in Glasgow are some of the most intense in world football, and you can tell the folks south of the border get how much it means when those two meet in the Premiership.
Ian Wright went with the North London derby, his old team Arsenal against Spurs, right out of the gate. Jill Scott gave a shout-out to Sunderland vs Newcastle. But Carragher didn’t hesitate, insisting nothing matches the atmosphere of Rangers vs Celtic. You can almost hear the crowd just thinking about it.
And Roy Keane? He jumped in and said it’s Celtic vs Rangers, especially when both are pushing for the top. Ange Postecoglou, who’s managed both Celtic and Tottenham, backed the Old Firm too, even as Gary Neville turned the spotlight back to North London, or Sunderland vs Newcastle. Still, a bunch of the panel agreed: Old Firm day is the one you don’t want to miss.
Right now, Rangers sit second in the league with Livingston up next on Sunday. Their manager, Danny Rohl, sounded upbeat: “We just need to keep it up, one game at a time. Last week’s win over Hearts was a great statement. The training the next day was sharp; guys who didn’t play were still fired up. It’s one of the first normal weeks since I arrived, so we’re keeping the intensity but also letting the players recharge. We’re ready for Sunday, but these games demand full focus. We have to win, simple as that; otherwise, last week means nothing.”
Celtic, meanwhile, is gearing up to face Hibs. They’re in third and looking to close the gap at the top. Martin O’Neill looked back at his earlier meetings with Hibs: “It’s always a tough game. We faced them early in my first spell, and they really gave us trouble. They just beat St Mirren and played very well against Hearts too, so we have to be prepared.”
Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added, “Playing at home, in front of your fans, it’s always special. You get that little edge. Every game’s a chance, but you really have to make the most of home fixtures. That’s where you need to lock down all three points, because away games only get harder.”
THE ZIDANE AGREEMENT: WHY ZINEDINE ZIDANE FINALLY CHOSE FRANCE OVER THE MANCHESTER UNITED JOB
Zidane is headed to France! Discover the verbal deal for the 2026 World Cup and Wayne Rooney’s plea for Michael Carrick at United.
Zinedine Zidane has apparently struck a verbal deal to take over as France’s coach after the 2026 World Cup.
Italian media say the 53-year-old will step in once Didier Deschamps’ contract runs out after the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Deschamps has been in charge for a long time, but after this summer, it sounds like Zidane’s finally stepping into the job so many have linked him with.
Zidane hasn’t coached since he left Real Madrid back in 2021. Since then, he’s been connected with all sorts of high-profile gigs. Manchester United popped up a lot, but he’s stayed out of the spotlight. Still, the French job always felt like his natural next move.
Back in October, Zidane made it clear that coaching France was on his mind. At an event put on by La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said, “I’m sure I’ll get back into coaching. I’m not saying it’s going to happen now, but what I want one day is to coach the national team.”
So with Zidane set on France, that’s one more big name off the table for Manchester United, who are still hunting for their next manager after Michael Carrick stepped in as caretaker.
Carrick’s done well since taking charge. There’s even talk about making his role permanent. Wayne Rooney, in The Mirror, said Carrick deserves the job full-time: “We’ve tried managers like Mourinho, van Gaal, ten Hag, and Amorim. For me, Carrick makes sense.”
Rooney didn’t just say that because they’re friends. He pointed out Carrick’s calming presence and real connection to the club. “Having someone there who knows and cares for the club makes a big difference. Michael is managing the squad well.”
Rooney also said people sometimes overlook what’s right in front of them, always looking for some new coach from abroad who doesn’t really care about the club. With Carrick, at least Manchester United would have a solid foundation to build on over the next few years as they try to get the club’s structure back on track.
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