The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday, as hosts Morocco bring up the curtain on the continent’s hottest football contest against Comoros.
It’s a 24-team competition spanning the new year period, as everything builds to the final on Sunday 18 January in Rabat.
Six groups of four will pit Africa’s leading nations against each other between now and then, with the Atlas Lions lighting the touch paper ahead of three more fixtures on the first full day of action on Monday.
*All kick off times are in Central Africa Time.
Group A: Morocco vs Comoros – 21.00
Morocco kick off the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday when they tackle Comoros in Group A in the tournament opener in Rabat.
The pair meet at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium with the Atlas Lions looking to make a fast start to their eagerly-awaited home competition.
It’s also one they’ve been starved of success in, despite their lofty position in the Fifa world rankings.
They come into Afcon inside the globe’s top 12 football nations, but the 1976 champions haven’t progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the continental event since their runners-up finish in 2004.
A Round of 16 exit two years ago was hardly an ideal first attempt for coach Walid Regragui.
But he has since engineered a squad built on a sturdy defence that conceded just twice in qualifying this time around.
Six wins from six did the job in topping Group B ahead of Gabon, Lesotho and Central African Republic.
Comoros were also unbeaten in coming through Group A in first place, outdoing Tunisia, Gambia and Madagascar.
It’s only a second Cup of Nations appearance for the minnows, who made their tournament debut in 2021 when they reached the Round of 16.
The host nation will play all three group games in Rabat as they enjoy home comforts as well as their number one CAF ranking.
Coach Regragui will lean heavily on the likes of Achraf Hakimi and Sofian Amrabat to set the platform at the back, allowing the likes of Brahim Diaz and Hakim Ziyech to do the business at the other end.
Their big kick off is followed on Monday by the other opening pool match between Mali and Zambia.
Group B also begins when Mohamed Salah’s Egypt tackle Zimbabwe in their opener, while 1996 winners South Africa go up against Angola.
Morocco vs Comoros
| Category | Prediction |
|---|---|
| First to score | Morocco |
| Over/Under Prediction | Under 2.5 goals |
| HT/FT Prediction | Morocco / Morocco |
| Team to score prediction | Morocco only |
| Result prediction | Morocco 2-0 Comoros |