Football fans from Cairo to Cape Town are gearing up for a December like no other, as the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) prepares to take over Morocco.

The tournament kicks off Sunday, December 21, 2025. For nearly a month, six Moroccan cities Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Agadir, Marrakech, and Fez—will burst into colour, noise, and national pride until the final whistle on January 18, 2026.

And this year’s lineup? A continental buffet.
Twenty-four nations have secured their spots: Morocco (hosts), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Algeria, DR Congo, Senegal, Egypt, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Sudan, Benin, Tanzania, Botswana, and Mozambique.

With the stage set, the group fixtures tell their own story—fresh rivalries, old grudges, and a December packed with football drama.
Below is the full journey each team must navigate in the group stage of AFCON 2025.

• AFCON 2025 – Full Group Stage Fixtures

GROUP A – Rabat & Casablanca Set the Tone

GROUP B – North vs South, Fire vs Flair

GROUP C – Nigeria’s Road Through Fès and Rabat

GROUP D – Champions Senegal Begin Their Charge

GROUP E – A Battle of Giants and Underdogs

GROUP F – Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and a Storm in Marrakech

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The countdown is on! Africa is gearing up for the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, promising thrilling football, star-studded clashes, and unforgettable moments as 24 of the continent’s top teams battle for glory.

When does AFCON 2025 kick off?

The tournament runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, wrapping up the year with elite football and starting the new year with knockout drama.

Who is hosting?

Morocco will play host, welcoming fans across nine world-class stadiums in six cities, ensuring electrifying atmospheres and top-tier facilities for players and supporters alike.

Countries that qualified 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 Republic, Botswana
• Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
• Group F: Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

Where to watch

Fans across Sub-Saharan Africa can catch the action live on SuperSport and CANAL+. In Nigeria, all matches will be broadcast on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv, so you won’t miss a single goal.

Get ready for AFCON 2025—Africa’s biggest football stage is back!

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The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Final Draw was officially conducted on Monday, January 27, 2025, at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.

The glamorous ceremony, attended by football icons and dignitaries, determined the group stage paths for the 24 teams vying for Africa’s most prestigious football trophy.

The tournament, scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will be hosted across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco. The draw divided the qualified teams into six groups of four, setting the stage for an exciting four weeks of football.

Out of CAF’s 52 member nations, 50 participated in the qualifiers. Following a preliminary round, 48 teams were split into 12 groups of four. Each team played six matches in a home and away-format, with the top two teams from each group securing their spots in the finals.

Now, the stage is set for Africa’s best to compete for continental supremacy, but only one nation will emerge as the champion.

AFCON 2025 Groups:

– 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: Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

With strong contenders spread across all groups, the tournament promises thrilling matchups and intense competition as nations chase the ultimate prize—becoming kings of African football.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1883962863397790091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1883962863397790091%7Ctwgr%5E91d16839b19a63e099a5b25535e10ad8ac0d4637%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulsesports.ng%2Ffootball%2Fstory%2Fafcon-2025-eric-chelle-all-smiles-as-super-eagles-draw-tunisia-2025012719521322284

Watch the full draw below:

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At the recently opened Parc des Expositions in Abidjan, the draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was successfully held. Several of the best football teams from the African continent will compete in the event, which is set to take place in January 2024.

In the draw, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were placed in Group A, and they will compete alongside the host nation, Ivory Coast. This sets the stage for an exciting competition as these teams vie for supremacy.

The defending champions, Senegal, find themselves in Group C, and they will face competition from teams like Cameroon, Guinea, and The Gambia.

AFCON promises to be an intense and competitive tournament, with numerous strong teams competing for the prestigious title.

Here is the full draw:

Group A
Ivory Coast
NigeriaGhana
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau

Group B
Egypt
Cape Verde
Mozambique

Group C
Senegal
Cameroon
Guinea
Gambia

Group D
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Mauritania
Angola

Group E
Tunisia
Mali
South Africa
Namibia

Group F
Morocco
DR Congo
Zambia
Tanzania.

The groups are set. ✅#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 is now ready to kick off in January! 🇨🇮⚽️

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will officially kick off on January 13, 2024, with the final game set to be played on February 11, 2024. pic.twitter.com/CbOg0eimId

— SportingXplorer (@SportingXplorer) October 12, 2023

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Before the World Cup, if you didn’t know Herve Renard, a two-time African Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast.  You may have heard about the Saudi Arabian manager’s team’s historic opening victory over Argentina.

In fact, it was so significant that the government of the nation proclaimed Wednesday a national holiday.

Now, a video of Renard’s motivational team speech has surfaced. He gave it at halftime with his team trailing 1-0 to one of the tournament favourites and facing an uphill battle in the second half.

And they did, with the help of breath-taking goals from Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari, to secure a historic victory. Clearly, the coach’s words had the desired impact.

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With hair like that, we should have guessed he knows how to use the hairdryer treatment. To fire up his team, Renard started with a simple question: “What are we doing here?”

He continues with intensity, telling his players that pressing doesn’t mean stopping to take out their phones and snap a photo of Lionel Messi.

“He has the ball. You are in front of their defence! He has nobody!” Renard shouts.

Hervé Renard, Saudi Arabia coach's speech at half time vs. Argentina. Talks about the marking and Lionel Messi.pic.twitter.com/GZdfM2WSU6

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) November 24, 2022

Renard steps it up a notch by using his translator to race around the changing room to show his players how nimble he wants them to be.

The Frenchman engages his players emotionally before sending them back out onto the field, pleading with them to react to the situation.

“You don’t feel something!?” he asks. “Did you see what you did!? You don’t feel we are going to come back!? You don’t feel it!? They play relaxed. Come on! Come on, guys! This is the World Cup! Give everything!”

And respond they did, with this half-time team talk now earning iconic status alongside the win itself.

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