In exactly four days, Africa’s greatest event, CAF AFCON Morocco 2025, will kick off in Rabat with a Group A clash between hosts Morocco and Comoros that is the start of a four-week race to the title.
The match will kick-off at 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT/ 21h00 Cairo) and will be watched by a sold-out crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Excitement is building up this week as the host nation opens the 35th edition of the tournament, the first time the country has staged the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON in 37 years.
CAF General Secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba said: “Morocco has provided world-class infrastructure, not only for African footballers but also for supporters from across the continent and beyond. In terms of preparation, we are ready. For the first time we launched the Diaspora Tour. We brought the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON trophy to African communities abroad to say: ‘Come, you will be welcomed as you should be.’ The diaspora has since become our biggest driver of ticket sales. It was a gesture of respect and belonging. In Morocco, the strategy includes a strong promotional campaign, government mobilisation and new partnerships. We wanted to push further and truly innovate.”
This year’s edition is expected to surpass the historic success of the 2023 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, which recorded more than 1.5 billion global TV viewers and 2.4 billion digital streams, setting new benchmarks for African football visibility.
The 35th edition of Africa’s premier competition will bring together the continent’s best teams, world-class footballers and millions of passionate supporters in a spectacle expected to surpass the historic success of the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire.
Morocco is putting the finishing touches on preparations across six host cities – Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir – all of which will stage matches in nine state-of-the-art stadiums.
The Kingdom successfully staged the recent TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024 and the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, showcasing its organisational excellence and the passion of fans for the game.
Fans heading to the tournament can expect world-class hospitality, modern infrastructure and electric atmospheres as Africa’s finest players compete for the chance to lift the trophy at the final on 18 January 2026.
The tournament serves as another major milestone in the remarkable journey of a competition first played in 1957 – a showcase of African talent, unity and passion.
The 24 teams that will play in the 2025 finals are as follows, with their previous appearances and best finish included:
Algeria (21st appearance, champions in 1990, 2019)
Angola (10th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2008, 2010, 2023)
Benin (5th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2019)
Botswana (2nd appearance, group stages in 2012)
Burkina Faso (14th appearance, runners-up in 2013)
Cameroon (22nd appearance, champions in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
Comoros (2nd appearance, round of 16 in 2021)
Cote d’Ivoire (26th appearance, champions in 1992, 2015, 2023)
Democratic Republic of Congo (21st appearance, champions in 1968, 1974)
Egypt (27th appearance, champions in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Equatorial Guinea (5th appearance, fourth place in 2015)
Gabon (9th appearance, quarter-finalists in 1996, 2012)
Mali (14th appearance, runners-up in 1972)
Morocco (20th appearances, champions in 1976)
Mozambique (6th appearance, group stages in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023)
Nigeria (21st appearance, champions in 1980, 1994, 2013)
Senegal (18th appearance, champions in 2021)
South Africa (12th appearance, champions in 1996)
Sudan (10th appearance, champions in 1970)
Tanzania (4th appearance, group stage in 1980, 2019, 2023)
Tunisia (22nd appearance, champions in 2004)
Uganda (8th appearance, runners-up in 1978)
Zambia (19th appearance, champions in 2012)
Zimbabwe (6th appearance, group stage in 2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Further Enquiries email CAF Communications at communications@cafonline.com.
