Arjun Menon
The AFCON 2025 final marks a historic moment for Senegal and Morocco. While this will be their first-ever meeting in an Africa Cup of Nations final, it is far from a new rivalry, with the two nations set to face each other for the 32nd time overall.
Overall Head-to-Head Record
Across all competitions, Morocco hold a clear historical edge.
Matches played: 31
Senegal: 6 wins
Draws: 7
Morocco: 18 wins
Goals: Senegal 18 – 41 Morocco
Morocco have won four of the last six meetings between the sides, with Senegal’s only victory in that span coming in a 1-0 friendly win in May 2012.
Recent Meetings
2025: Morocco 1-1 Senegal
2020: Morocco 3-1 Senegal
2012: Morocco 0-1 Senegal
2011: Senegal 0-2 Morocco
2007: Morocco 3-0 Senegal
The most recent competitive meeting came at the 2024 CHAN semi-finals, where Morocco eliminated defending champions Senegal on penalties after a 1-1 draw, going on to lift the trophy.
AFCON and World Cup History
Although this is their first AFCON final meeting, the two nations have crossed paths frequently in qualifiers. Morocco eliminated Senegal on their way to their only AFCON title in 1976, winning 5-2 on aggregate in qualifying.
They have also met multiple times in FIFA World Cup qualification. Morocco denied Senegal a place at their first World Cup in 1970, winning a play-off in Las Palmas after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Senegal eventually qualified for their first World Cup in 2002, finishing level on points with Morocco but advancing on goal difference.
Host Nation Trends in AFCON Finals
Morocco become the 15th host nation to reach an AFCON final, and history strongly favours them.
The last three host nations to reach the final — Tunisia (2004), Egypt (2006), and Côte d’Ivoire (2023) — all went on to lift the trophy.
Host nations have won the AFCON title 12 times overall, losing just three finals, all of which went to extra time. The only host nation to lose an AFCON final in open play was Tunisia in 1965.
AFCON Final Patterns and Scorelines
AFCON finals are traditionally low-scoring affairs.
The two most common scorelines are 1-0 (eight times) and 0-0 (seven times). Since 2002, nine of the last 12 finals have ended with one of those two results.
Nine AFCON finals have been decided on penalties, with the last five shootouts all following 0-0 draws after 120 minutes. Senegal themselves lifted the trophy this way in 2021 against Egypt.
West Africa vs North Africa Finals
This will be the ninth AFCON final between teams from West and North Africa.
In the previous eight meetings:
West African teams: 4 wins
North African teams: 4 wins
When a West African side has faced a North African host in the final, the hosts have won twice, with West African teams prevailing on the other two occasions.
Senegal AFCON Final Record
This is Senegal’s fourth AFCON final, having previously appeared in 2002, 2019, and 2021.
Only one goal has been scored across their last three AFCON finals. Two ended 0-0 and were decided on penalties, while their only 90-minute defeat came in the 2019 final against Algeria.
Senegal arrive unbeaten in their last 17 AFCON matches, keeping four clean sheets at the current edition and conceding just two goals overall.
Morocco AFCON Final Record
This is Morocco’s second AFCON final and their first since 2004. Their only previous final appearance ended in a 2-1 defeat to hosts Tunisia.
Morocco have conceded just one goal at the current tournament and have kept five clean sheets, the most they have ever recorded in a single AFCON edition.
They are unbeaten in their last six AFCON matches and have gone over 470 minutes without conceding a goal.
What History Suggests
All signs point towards a tense, tactical final. Morocco’s historical dominance, home advantage, and defensive record are countered by Senegal’s experience in penalty shootouts and remarkable consistency in recent AFCON editions.
History suggests goals will be scarce, margins will be fine, and extra time — or even penalties — could once again decide Africa’s biggest prize.