An Inside Look at African Football’s Showpiece Spectacle
Whether you’re a football fan or not, the latest installment of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) (21st December 2025 – 19 January 2026) had something for everyone. Morocco hosted the 2025 edition of the tournament, which brings together the best 24 African national teams in a footballing showcase similar to that of the UEFA European Championships. Although the eventual champions Senegal and hosts Morocco snatched sporting headlines with their controversial actions in the final, the tournament itself was testament to the magic of African football.
Group Stage
Kicking off on the 21st December, AFCON hosts Morocco led by international stars Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi opened the tournament in front of a crowd of 60,180 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat with an expectedly comfortable 2-0 victory over tournament minnows Comoros. Morocco topped Group A with wins over Comoros and Zambia and a draw with nearest competitors Mali who finished second to progress. Group B featured Egypt, captained by Liverpool favourite Mohammed Salah, and South Africa who both qualified for the knockout stage while Angola and Zimbabwe were eliminated. Group C was won by Nigeria – featuring stars such as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman – ahead of Tunisia who qualified in second and Tanzania who finished as one of the four best third placed teams to book their place in the last 16 while Uganda went out.
Group D featured 2021 winners Senegal, with Sadio Mane, who were joined in the knockout round by DR Congo and Benin. Algeria, featuring Riyad Mahrez, Burkina Faso and Sudan came through Group E while in Group F, defending champions Ivory Coast and Cameroon progressed without defeat while Mozambique beat Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon to finish third and secure the last of four qualification berths for third placed teams.
Last 16
Knockout football. Where the drama of international football comes to the forefront. Senegal, Nigeria and Ivory Coast breezed through with routine victories over Sudan, Mozambique and Burkina Faso respectively. Egypt and Algeria both needed very late goals to beat Benin and DR Congo in their ties, while Morocco and Cameroon made it through with close-fought triumphs over Tanzania and South Africa. In the result of the round, Mali, despite having 10 men, beat Tunisia on penalties in an AFCON upset for the ages
Quarter and Semi Finals
The Quarter Finals followed on from the last 16 with Egypt, Senegal, Morocco and Nigeria making it through to the semis while Mali, Cameroon, Algeria and Ivory Coast suffered elimination. The Semi Finals brought former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane of Senegal and Mohammed Salah of Egypt head to head in a tight game where Mane once again scored to inflict defeat on Egypt and heartbreak for Salah after Senegal were victorious in the 2021 final and the World Cup Qualifiers in 2022. In the other semi final, hosts Morocco beat Nigeria on penalties to book their place in the AFCON final on home soil.
Third Place Playoff
Defeated semi finalists, Egypt and Nigeria met in the third place playoff match in Casablanca. After a closely contested 0-0 stalemate over 120 minutes of play the game went to penalties where Nigeria triumphed to take third place. It was not the result Nigeria wanted but it was a tournament to be proud of.
Africa Cup of Nations Final
After four weeks of fierce competition and magical moments, everything came down to the final. The tournament hosts Morocco against 2023 champions Senegal. Morocco seeking their first AFCON title, Senegal seeking to add a third to their past triumphs. With both teams locked in a stalemate for 90 minutes and failing to create goalscoring opportunities, it was the final moments that the game was turned upside down by controversy. Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr pounced on an opportunity to guide the ball home from a corner in injury time. However, match referee Jean Jacques Ndala had blown his whistle as the ball went in, penalising Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Seck for a very soft foul on Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi and disallowing the goal.
This was only the beginning of the theatrics that cemented this final into AFCON history. The disallowed goal sent Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw into a rage on the touchline and he clashed with rival manager Walid Regragui of Morocco. Tension only increased when VAR intervened to award Morocco a penalty during extra time. The Senegal team surrounded the referee with complaints that quickly transcended into the entire squad leaving the pitch in protest, while in the stands there were ugly scenes as Senegalese fans, some wielding metal chairs, clashed with stewards and police.
After a lengthy delay, star player Sadio Mane convinced his teammates to return to the field and allow Morocco to take the penalty. The drama of this final was only added to when, as history beckoned for tournament top scorer Brahim Diaz, he attempted a panenka which was saved in a horrible moment he will never forget. From there, the game looked destined for a winner-takes-all penalty shootout until Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye broke through Morocco’s defence with a left-footed rocket to deny Morocco their crowning moment and claim a third AFCON title for Senegal.
Away from the pitch, AFCON is synonymous with incredible cultural moments. Above all others was the Congolese superfan, Michel Nkuka Mboladinga who dressed up as revered Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba and stood on a pedestal amongst the Congo fans with his right arm raised, mimicking the pose of Lumumba’s statue in Kinshasa.
The investment that went into the infrastructure for the tournament in Morocco signals the growth of the world’s greatest game in Africa and points to a promising future. With an expanded World Cup on the horizon, there will be more African teams present than ever before and who knows, maybe one might just shock the world and make history.
