Four Early Predictions for AFCON 2025
With all 24 spots for the main competition accounted for, the upcoming Morocco-hosted AFCON already looks exciting on paper.
A year from now, the men's national teams of 24 countries will compete in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. Earlier this week, the final round of qualification matches took place, locking in the teams for the main competition stage.
Initially scheduled for June and July, the 2025 AFCON dates were moved to between late December 2025 and mid-January 2026. This adjustment brings it closer to the usual timeframe in which AFCON takes place, despite the continent's governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), constantly seeking to make the competition a summertime event.
Moroccowill be hosting AFCON for the second time, the first being in 1988. This opportunity to host the continent's biggest and most prestigious footballing event comes at a time when the country's national team is a powerhouse on the continent. It will also take place about two years after theworst earthquake in 60 years hit the north African country.
As AFCON hosts, there will be an acceleration in theongoing rebuilding process. Furthermore, the Moroccan economy willsignificantly benefit from the influx of players, coaches, supporters, and tournament tourists. This competition will also serve as a dress rehearsal for when it is co-host of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Looking forward to next year's AFCON, here are four early predictions on what to expect.
A dominant host side
Nine countries have won AFCON while hosting the competition, including the hosts of the most recent edition, Cote D'Ivoire. Morocco could make it ten in early 2026. The Atlas Lions are considered one of the best football teams in Africa and even the world. They're currently 12th on the FIFA World Football rankings, the highest-ranked African side, and they made it to the third-place match at the last World Cup in Qatar, handing out surprise losses to Spain and Portugal in the knockout round.
While they will have the services of Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and other team members that took the world by storm in Qatar, they will also be integrating younger players from the team that won Morocco itsfirst Olympic medal in football. Morocco was the only team to achieve a perfect record in the qualifiers, winning all six games, scoring an impressive 26 goals, and maintaining four clean sheets. In January 2026, the Atlas Lions will try their best to win Morocco a second AFCON title and its first in 50 years.
Emergence of underdogs
No African country will make an AFCON debut in Morocco; however, plenty of underdog teams will be eager to prove themselves. After debuting at AFCON 2021 but missing out on this year's competition, Comoros are returning to the competition after emerging as the top team in their qualifying group, ahead of former AFCON champions Tunisia. The team will look to do better than its second-round finish last time.
The Zebras of Botswana qualified on the final matchday with a 1-1 draw against Egypt, and they will be competing in AFCON for the first time in 12 years. Benin, which has missed out on the last two competitions, also qualified on the final day on goal difference, pulling out a 1-1 draw against Nigeria in its penultimate qualifying match.
Sudan also qualified on the final matchday, picking up an invaluable point from a goalless draw against group winners Angola. Due to the ongoing civil war, the Sudanese team has had to play the home portion of its qualifiers in South Sudan and Libya, and the playerstake pride in representing the survivors back home on the continental stage.Banter and upsets
At AFCON, one thing is certain: banter. The intensity and unpredictability of African football often result in upsets, where strong favorites frequently lose to teams considered weaker on paper. Even the recently concluded qualifying round delivered some surprises, with four-time AFCON champions Ghana finishing at the bottom of its group. These upsets lead to continent-widefootball banter on the main stage.
For decades, AFCON has united the continent on the pitch. With the powerful reach of social media, fans across Africa and beyond can engage in real-time discussions about match results. While these conversations sometimes become heated, they have becomeessential to the AFCON experience.
The big boys looking to (re-)assert themselves
Half of the 24 teams competing in Morocco are former champions. However, only three have emerged as champions in the last ten years, a marker of the increased difficulty of winning the competition. Egypt, the last country to win back-to-back editions of AFCON, has yet to reach the mountaintop since completing a historic treble of wins between 2006 and 2010. The Pharaohs have gotten close to adding to their seven titles, notably losing in the 2021 final match, and they will be among the challengers again.
Since their last triumph in 2013, Nigeria's Super Eagles have either comeincredibly close to winning or woefully short, like their second-round exit in AFCON 2021 after a perfect 3-win group stage. The Super Eagles are always strong contenders, and they will head to Morocco with a talented, star-studded group that could include two African Player of Year winners if Ademola LookmansucceedsVictor Oshimen.