The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. This will be the 35th edition of the biennial tournament, featuring 24 of Africa's top men's national football teams.
Host Country and Venues
Morocco was chosen as the host nation after Guinea was stripped of its hosting rights due to concerns about the country's infrastructure and facilities. The matches will be held across nine venues in six cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier. The final is scheduled to take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which has a capacity of 69,500.
Tournament Format
The 24 participating teams have been divided into six groups (A-F) of four teams each. During the group stage, teams will compete in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will consist of the Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and the Final.
Key Dates and Schedule
- Group Stage: December 21 - December 31, 2025
- Round of 16: January 3 - January 6, 2026
- Quarter-Finals: January 9 - January 10, 2026
- Semi-Finals: January 14, 2026
- Third-Place Play-off: January 17, 2026
- Final: January 18, 2026
Opening Match
The tournament will kick off on December 21, 2025, with the host nation, Morocco, facing Comoros at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place before the match.
Group Stage Fixtures (Selected)
- December 21, 2025: Morocco vs Comoros
- December 22, 2025: South Africa vs Angola, Egypt vs Zimbabwe
- December 23, 2025: DR Congo vs Benin, Senegal vs Botswana
- December 24, 2025: Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, Algeria vs Sudan
- December 26, 2025: Angola vs Zimbabwe, Egypt vs South Africa
- December 27, 2025: Benin vs Botswana, Senegal vs DR Congo
- December 28, 2025: Gabon vs Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan
- December 29, 2025: Angola vs Egypt, Zimbabwe vs South Africa
- December 30, 2025: Tanzania vs Tunisia, Uganda vs Nigeria
- December 31, 2025: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, Sudan vs Burkina Faso
Groups
The groups for the tournament are as follows:
- 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: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Impact of FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 AFCON is scheduled to take place later than usual due to FIFA expanding its Club World Cup competition to 32 teams in June and July 2025. This edition will be the first to be played over the Christmas and New Year period.
