The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets underway on Sunday with hosts Morocco taking on Comoros in the opening Group A clash at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, as Africa’s premier football tournament begins its first-ever Christmas-season edition.
Morocco, hosting the tournament for the second time after 1988, will be eager to make a strong statement.
Morocco Aim to Set the Tone
Ranked Africa’s top team and 11th in the world, Morocco enter AFCON 2025 as one of the leading title contenders, buoyed by their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup — the first African and Arab nation to achieve the feat.
Under coach Walid Regragui, Morocco have built a settled and confident squad. They swept through qualification with six wins from six matches, scoring 26 goals and conceding just twice. Brahim Díaz was the standout, finishing as the team’s top scorer with seven goals.
Captain Achraf Hakimi has recovered from an ankle injury and could feature if required, while the attacking duo of Díaz and Youssef En-Nesyri is expected to shoulder much of the creative burden.
Comoros Look to Upset the Script
Comoros, ranked 108th in the world, are appearing in AFCON for just the second time but arrive unbeaten from qualification, recording three wins and three draws. However, they are yet to keep a clean sheet at the tournament and face a daunting task against a dominant host side.
Morocco have the upper hand historically, winning three of their four previous meetings, including a 2–0 victory at the 2021 AFCON.
A Tournament of Firsts
AFCON 2025 is the 35th edition of the tournament and the first to be staged during the Christmas and New Year period, running from December 2025 to January 2026. The format features 24 experienced teams, all of whom have appeared in previous AFCON editions.
Off the field, CAF has raised the stakes by increasing the winner’s prize money to $10 million, while European clubs brace for disruption, with several top players — including Mohamed Salah — set to miss league action.
As the opening ceremony lights up Rabat, Morocco will aim to extend the long-standing tradition of host nation success — and take the first confident step toward continental glory.
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