THE 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off on Sunday, December 21, with the opening match between hosts Morocco and Comoros.
Scheduled for 19:00 GMT at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat, the fixture marks the start of the 35th edition of Africa’s flagship football tournament, which will run until January 18, 2026.
For the first time, the competition will take place over the Christmas and New Year period.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the refereeing team for the Morocco–Comoros match, signalling full readiness for the tournament.
AFCON 2025 features six groups: Group A has Comoros, Mali, Morocco, and Zambia; Group B includes Angola, Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe; Group C features Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda.
Group D has Benin, Botswana, DR Congo, and Senegal; Group E comprises Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan; and Group F, the “group of death,” features Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique.
Group F stands out with stars like Aubameyang and Bryan Mbeumo, while Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Group C face a tough challenge to improve their recent World Cup qualifying form.
AFCON has been held 34 times, with 14 different nations winning the trophy. Egypt leads with seven titles, followed by Cameroon with five and Ghana with four. Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are tied for fourth with three titles each, with Nigeria winning in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
CAF announced prize money of $10 million for the winner, $4 million for the runners-up, and $2.5 million for each semi-finalist. The Super Eagles have finished as runners-up four times and third on eight occasions. All kick-off times are in GMT.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org