Arjun Menon
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. For the first time, the tournament spans Christmas and New Year – shifting from its usual June-July slot after FIFA expanded the 2025 Club World Cup to 32 teams.
Morocco hosts across nine stadiums in six cities, four of them in Rabat. It’s the country’s second time staging the event since 1988. Seven of Africa’s nine confirmed 2026 World Cup qualifiers will be here, making it a dry run for the summer showpiece in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Morocco, co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, gets a chance to test its infrastructure.
Meet Assad, the Tournament’s Mascot
The official mascot is Assad, a young lion named after the Arabic word for ‘lion’. He embodies strength, pride, and Moroccan heritage – designed to rally fans across the continent. The official song, blending African sounds, is expected any day now. Past anthems have become classics; this one might too.
Key Dates to Mark
- 15 December 2025: Clubs release players
- 21-31 December 2025: Group stage
- 3-6 January 2026: Round of 16
- 9-10 January 2026: Quarter-finals
- 14 January 2026: Semi-finals
- 17 January 2026: Third-place play-off
- 18 January 2026: Final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat
Teams and Players to Watch
Morocco, the hosts, field a golden generation. After their historic 2022 World Cup semi-final run, they crashed out in the last 16 at the last AFCON. Captain Achraf Hakimi, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, is racing to recover from an ankle injury. If fit, he’ll lead a squad desperate to end a 49-year title drought.
Nigeria, three-time champions, fell just short in the 2023 final, losing to Côte d’Ivoire. A shaky World Cup qualifying campaign left them empty-handed. Now, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman – the last two African Footballers of the Year – must step up after William Troost-Ekong’s retirement.
Senegal, the defending champions, head into Group D with DR Congo. Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Nicolas Jackson kept eight clean sheets in ten World Cup qualifiers. Their defense could be the difference again.
Côte d’Ivoire’s fairytale 2023 triumph saw them sack their coach mid-tournament, only to win it all under interim boss Emerse Faé. Now permanent, Faé has Amad Diallo leading a squad tipped to repeat.
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah has never won the AFCON. At 33, this might be his last shot. Two finals lost – 2017 and 2021 – haunt him. With Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed in support, the pressure’s on.
Cameroon, five-time winners, are in chaos. Samuel Eto’o replaced the coach three weeks before the tournament, then dropped André Onana and Vincent Aboubakar. Still, Bryan Mbeumo could carry them.
South Africa, surprise third-place finishers last time, qualified for the World Cup ahead of Nigeria. Their locally based squad’s cohesion is their strength. Algeria and Tunisia will push them hard.
The Groups and Full Schedule
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros |
| B | Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe |
| C | Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania |
| D | Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana |
| E | Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan |
| F | Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique |
All times are local (UTC).
- 21 December 2025: Morocco vs Comoros, 19:00 (Group A)
- 22 December 2025: Mali vs Zambia, 14:00 (Group A); South Africa vs Angola, 17:00 (Group B); Egypt vs Zimbabwe, 20:00 (Group B)
- 23 December 2025: DR Congo vs Benin, 12:30 (Group D); Senegal vs Botswana, 15:00 (Group D); Nigeria vs Tanzania, 17:30 (Group C); Tunisia vs Uganda, 20:00 (Group C)
- 24 December 2025: Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, 12:30 (Group E); Algeria vs Sudan, 15:00 (Group E); Côte d’Ivoire vs Mozambique, 17:30 (Group F); Cameroon vs Gabon, 20:00 (Group F)
- 26 December 2025: Angola vs Zimbabwe, 12:30 (Group B); Egypt vs South Africa, 15:00 (Group B); Zambia vs Comoros, 17:30 (Group A); Morocco vs Mali, 20:00 (Group A)
- 27 December 2025: Benin vs Botswana, 12:30 (Group D); Senegal vs DR Congo, 15:00 (Group D); Uganda vs Tanzania, 17:30 (Group C); Nigeria vs Tunisia, 20:00 (Group C)
- 28 December 2025: Gabon vs Mozambique, 12:30 (Group F); Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan, 15:00 (Group E); Algeria vs Burkina Faso, 17:30 (Group E); Côte d’Ivoire vs Cameroon, 20:00 (Group F)
- 29 December 2025: Comoros vs Mali, 19:00 (Group A); Zambia vs Morocco, 19:00 (Group A); Angola vs Egypt, 16:00 (Group B); Zimbabwe vs South Africa, 16:00 (Group B)
- 30 December 2025: Tanzania vs Tunisia, 16:00 (Group C); Uganda vs Nigeria, 16:00 (Group C); Benin vs Senegal, 19:00 (Group D); Botswana vs DR Congo, 19:00 (Group D)
- 31 December 2025: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, 16:00 (Group E); Sudan vs Burkina Faso, 16:00 (Group E); Gabon vs Côte d’Ivoire, 19:00 (Group F); Mozambique vs Cameroon, 19:00 (Group F)
Knockout Stages
- 3 January 2026: Group D winners vs 3rd (B/E/F), 17:00; Group A runners-up vs Group C runners-up, 19:30
- 4 January 2026: Group A winners vs 3rd (C/D/E), 17:00; Group B runners-up vs Group F runners-up, 19:30
- 5 January 2026: Group B winners vs 3rd (A/C/D), 17:00; Group C winners vs 3rd (A/B/F), 19:30
- 6 January 2026: Group E winners vs Group D runners-up, 17:00; Group F winners vs Group E runners-up, 19:30
- 9 January 2026: Quarter-finals, 17:00 & 19:30
- 10 January 2026: Quarter-finals, 17:00 & 19:30
- 14 January 2026: Semi-finals, 17:00 & 19:30
- 17 January 2026: Third-place play-off, 19:00
- 18 January 2026: Final, 19:00
Maybe the biggest story isn’t the trophy. It’s the timing – Christmas lights, winter chills, and football. We think it’ll work. Or it won’t. Either way, it’s happening.