The 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations has reached the knockout stage, with 16 teams remaining from the original 24 to compete for the continental men’s football title.
The teams through to the Round of 16 are: Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Tunisia, DR Congo, Benin, Mali, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
Several of Africa’s leading players remain in contention for a first Africa Cup of Nations title, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, Achraf Hakimi, and Victor Osimhen all progressing to the knockout stage with their respective national teams.
Others, however, saw their tournaments end at the group stage. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) and Patson Daka (Zambia) were eliminated after their sides failed to advance, and will thus rejoin their clubs, Olympique Marseille and Leicester City respectively.
Below is a full guide to the eight Round of 16 matchups, including kick-off times, key players, and broadcast information.
AFCON 2025 Round of 16 fixtures
ALL TIMES GMT
- Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan, 17:00
- Mali vs Tunisia 20:00
- Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Morocco vs Tanzania 17:00
- South Africa vs Cameroon 20:00
- Monday, 5 January 2026
- Egypt vs Benin 17:00
- Nigeria vs Mozambique, 20:00
- Tuesday, 6 January 2026
- Algeria vs DR Congo, 17:00
- Cote D’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso 20:00
Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan, 17:00 (Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier)
Senegal will kick things off in the new year with a meeting against Sudan, who are appearing in an Africa Cup of Nations knockout match for the first time since 2012.
The Teranga Lions of Senegal topped Group D on goal difference ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will look to rely on key attacking players such as Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson as they aim to go beyond the Round of 16, having been eliminated at the same stage at the last edition by hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
Senegal will, however, be without captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who is serving a suspension after being sent off in their final group match against Benin.
Sudan on the other hand, progressed as one of the four best third-placed teams after finishing Group E on three points, courtesy of a win over Equatorial Guinea.
Notably, Sudan have reached this stage of the competition without actually scoring a goal, the first time a country has managed to do this, with their only goal of the tournament coming from an own goal.
Nonetheless, reaching the Round of 16 is already a remarkable achievement for the Crocodiles, whose return to the knockout phase comes amid continued turmoil which has forced the team to stage “home” games in neighbouring countries.
In seven previous meetings between the two nations, Senegal holds the advantage with four wins, with three of the games ending in draws.
- Mali vs Tunisia, 20:00 (Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca)
Mali and Tunisia meet again in the knockout rounds after both progressed without fully convincing performances in the group stage.
Mali advanced from Group A with three draws, while Tunisia finished second in Group C with four points.
Tunisia hold a slight edge in the head-to-head record, with seven wins to Mali’s five from 15 meetings.
Their most recent encounter ended in a 1–1 draw at AFCON 2023.
Mali will be without Amadou Haidara, who is suspended after his dismissal in their final group game.
Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Morocco vs Tanzania 17:00 (Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat)
Hosts Morocco will face Tanzania in the AFCON round of 16 looking for a statement performance that would both secure a last eight berth and restore confidence among the Atlas Lions fans.
Coach Walid Regragui had to apologise to the fans for unconvincing performances in the group stage in which they narrowly beat Comoros, were held by Mali before a 3-0 victory against Zambia restored confidence.
The Atlas Lions are aiming to secure the country’s second continental title, five decades after their maiden triumph.
Captain Achraf Hakimi returned from an ankle injury in the final group match against Zambia.
Tanzania reached the knockout stage for the first time in 45 years, finishing third in Group C with two points, narrowly ahead of Angola on goals scored.
Morocco has dominated meetings between the two nations, winning seven of their eight encounters.
- South Africa vs Cameroon 20:00 (Al Barid Stadium, Rabat)
South Africa secured a spot in the AFCON round of 16 as Group B runners-up, clinching qualification with a late victory over Zimbabwe. They will meet five-time champions Cameroon, who progressed unbeaten from Group F.
Bafana Bafana’s tournament form has been mixed, suggesting they still have an extra gear to find. Lyle Foster and Oswin Appollis have impressed with their attacking threat, scoring three of South Africa’s five goals between them. They will be key if South Africa are to advance to the quarter-finals.
Cameroon have relied on the resilience of Bryan Mbeumo and their squad to maintain momentum, proving yet again that the Indomitable Lions cannot be discounted.
This will be the tenth meeting between the two nations, five of which have ended in draws, with three wins for South Africa, and one for Cameroon.
Monday, 5 January 2026
- Egypt vs Benin 17:00 (Adrar Stadium, Agadir)
Egypt completed an unbeaten group stage to top Group B with seven points, keeping their title hopes on track. Even with key players such as Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush rested, the Pharaohs held Angola to a goalless draw in their last match, proof there’s depth in their squad.
The seven-time champions aim to turn consistency into silverware, chasing their first AFCON crown since 2010 after a series of near misses in recent tournaments.
Benin reached the round of 16 thanks to a single result: a 1-0 victory over Botswana in Group D, marking their first win at the AFCON finals in 16 attempts since their debut in 2004.
Despite that long wait, they have shown they can compete at this level, reaching the quarter-finals in 2019.
Egypt have never lost to Benin, winning three of their four meetings.
- Nigeria vs Mozambique, 20:00 (Fez Stadium, Fez)
It appears Nigeria have quickly moved on from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup.
The Super Eagles arrived in Morocco with a star-studded squad that features winners of two of the last three African Footballer of the Year Awards: Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, with Raphael Onyedika, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, and Alex Iwobi in the supporting cast.
The talented side delivered a top of the table performance in Group C , winning all three group games to set up a last-16 clash with Mozambique, who finished third in Group F with three points, making their first appearance in an AFCON knockout stage.
Mozambique secured their progress with a 3-2 win over Gabon, ending a 40-year wait for a victory at the continental finals.
Monday’s match will be their toughest test to date, as they seek a maiden win over Nigeria, who have won four of five previous encounters and drawn once.
Nigeria enter the knockout stage with the tournament’s most prolific attack, having scored eight goals across three group matches, and will look to continue that form against the Mambas.
Tuesday, 6 January 2026
- Algeria vs DR Congo, 17:00 (Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat)
Algeria were one of only two teams, alongside Nigeria, to complete a perfect group-stage campaign at AFCON, topping Group E with wins powered by Riyad Mahrez and Ibrahim Maza.
The performances of the Desert Foxes is a sharp contrast to their outings at the last two AFCONs, when they shockingly finished bottom of their respective groups.
Their opponent, DR Congo, finished second in Group D with two wins and a draw.
The matchup on Tuesday is one of the tournament’s most intriguing ties, with two in-form sides facing off for the first time in seven years.
Historically, Algeria hold the edge, remaining unbeaten in six previous encounters against DR Congo, with two wins and four draws.
Both teams would also feel they have been dealt the most difficult part of the draw, where a quarter-final showdown with Nigeria looms for the winner, while host nation Morocco could await in the semi-finals
- Cote D’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso 20:00 (Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh)
Defending champions Cote D’Ivoire finished top of Group F with seven points, edging Cameroon on goals scored after a thrilling comeback win against Gabon in their final match.
Winger Amad Diallo has been a key performer, scoring two of the team’s five goals in the group stage. The Elephants now face West African rivals Burkina Faso, who secured the runners-up spot in Group E with two wins and one defeat.
The Africa Cup of Nations has proven notoriously unforgiving for defending champions. Since 2010, no champion has gone beyond the Round of 16 of the next competition. They will hope they can break that “champions’ curse” against the Stallions.
The sides have met 20 times across competitions and friendlies, with Cote D’Ivoire winning nine, Burkina Faso winning three, and eight matches ending in draws.
Where and how to watch AFCON 2025 Round of 16 matches live
The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 tournament will be broadcast on TV and digital livestreaming across the globe in over 30 countries and regions. Below is the broadcast list in each country/region.
Country – Broadcaster
- Algeria – EPTV
- Angola – Televisão Pública de Angola
- Belgium – Tipik, La Une
- Benin – Bénin TV
- Bulgaria – Max Sport
- Burkina Faso – RTB TV
- Cameroon – CRTV Sports
- Canada – beIN Sports
- Colombia – Win Sports
- Croatia – SportKlub
- Equatorial Guinea – TVGE
- France – beIN Sports France
- Germany – Sportdigital
- Greece – Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation
- Iran – Persiana Sports
- Ireland (Republic of Ireland) – Channel 4
- Italy – Sportitalia, Solo Calcio
- Ivory Coast – RTI, Canal+ Afrique
- Mali – ORTM
- Morocco – SNRT
- Netherlands – Ziggo Sport
- Niger – Télé Sahel
- Nigeria – BON, NTA
- Portugal – Sport TV
- South Africa – SABC Sport
- Spain – Movistar
- Tanzania – Azam Sports
- Turkey – Exxen
- Uganda – NBC Sport
- United Kingdom – Channel 4
- United States – beIN Sports
- Zambia – ZNBC
- Middle East & North Africa (MENA) – beIN Sports
- Sub-Saharan Africa – SuperSport
SOURCE: OLYMPICS.COM
