Rabat — Morocco is set to organize the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the second time after 1988 when Cameroon won the title in an eight-team tournament.
The 2025 competition will feature 24 teams.
The host nation has automatically qualified, while 23 other teams secured their spots through qualifiers held between September and November 2024.
The lineup includes big names such as Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, and Algeria. However, Ghana and Guinea failed to qualify.
The AFCON draw will take place in Rabat on January 27, 2025.
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The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has not yet announced the official venues, but there are ample choices available. Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Marrakech Stadium, and Fez Stadium are likely candidates.
Many of these venues are undergoing renovations to meet and exceed tournament standards.
The tournament kicks off on December 21st, 2025, and the final match is scheduled for January 18th, 2026.
Morocco has a long track record of hosting a series of successful tournaments, including the 2018 CHAN, the 2022 Women’s AFCON, and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of FRMF, called hosting AFCON 2025 a “historic moment.” He credited King Mohammed VI for supporting football development in Africa. Lekjaa also said Morocco aims to deliver the “best-ever AFCON.”
The stage is set to welcome fans from across the world to celebrate African football.
Meanwhile, Morocco ended the year 2024 as Africa’s top team holding the 14th place in FIFA World Rankings with 1688.18 points, a slight drop from 13th in 2023, when the team had 1661.69 points.
Morocco has led African football in the rankings for the third consecutive year.
Senegal follows at 17th, with Egypt (33rd), Algeria (37th), and Nigeria (44th).
Globally, Argentina stays at the top, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil. The rest of the top 10 include Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Uruguay.
