The 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to be the 35th edition of this prestigious football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and fans are already making the most out of the 22bet App when it comes to placing bets on their chosen winner of AFCON. After Guinea was stripped of hosting rights due to inadequate preparations, Morocco was chosen as the new host on September 27, 2023. This will be Morocco’s second time hosting the tournament, the first being in 1988.
AFCON 2025 will take place unusually over the Christmas and New Year period, starting from December 21, 2025, and running until January 18, 2026. The scheduling change is partly because of FIFA’s expansion of the Club World Cup and aimed at reducing conflicts with European club competitions.
Venues and Cities
Matches will be held across six Moroccan cities:
- Casablanca
- Rabat
- Tangier
- Agadir
- Fez
- Marrakesh
These cities are set to offer modern facilities with large capacity to host thousands of fans.
Qualification and Teams
The qualification process concluded in late 2024 with 24 national teams earning places in the tournament. Morocco qualifies automatically as host but also played in the qualifiers. Notably, Ghana, a four-time AFCON champion, failed to qualify for the first time since 2004. Tunisia continued their record streak by qualifying for their 17th consecutive tournament.
Some teams making their return after absences include Comoros, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Benin, Uganda, and Botswana. Other notable qualified teams include defending champions Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, and DR Congo among others.
The teams were divided into six groups of four. Nigeria, for example, will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania, while champions Ivory Coast are in Group F with Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique.
Tournament Format and Expectations
AFCON 2025 will once again feature 24 teams competing in a group stage followed by knockout rounds. Unlike previous editions, this tournament will be played in the cooler months to avoid extreme summer weather and to better accommodate players active in European leagues.
Morocco, despite their historic achievement of being the first African team to reach a men’s World Cup semifinal, has won AFCON only once (1976), but they enter as hosts with high hopes. Other favorites include Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Ivory Coast. Mali is considered a potential dark horse.
The tournament is expected to attract record-breaking viewership and fan attendance across Africa and the world, highlighting the growing prestige and excitement that AFCON brings to African football fans.
This edition promises excitement with a fresh host city lineup, competitive teams, and a unique calendar slot. As Africa’s premier football event returns to Morocco after nearly four decades, millions will watch eager to see who will lift the trophy in early 2026.