24 teams are participating in the tournament, which are divided into 6 groups of 4 teams, which play in a round-robin system at the group stage. The Ghana national team, a 4-time winner of the African Cup of Nations, did not make it to the final round.
Ivory Coast, the current trophy holders, will play in Group F with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique. Egypt, the continent’s most successful team with 7 titles, will face South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B. The favorites of the tournament are: Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon.
The opening of the tournament will take place on December 21, 2025. In the opening match in Rabat, the hosts of the tournament, the national team of Morocco, will play against the Comoros Islands. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, as well as the 4 third-placed teams with the best results. The elimination play-off matches will begin with the round of 16, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
The group stage will run from December 21 to 31, followed by the play-offs, with the final taking place in Rabat on January 18, 2026. The 2025 African Cup of Nations matches will be held in 9 stadiums in 6 cities in Morocco: Rabat (4 arenas), Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fez and Tangier.
African Cup of Nations 2025
Composition of groups
- Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
- Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
- Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
- Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
- Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
- Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Schedule of matches (Kyiv time)
- 21.12.2025. 21:00. Morocco – Comoros
- 22.12.2025. 16:00. Mali – Zambia
- 22.12.2025. 19:00. South Africa – Angola
- 22.12.2025. 22:00. Egypt – Zimbabwe
- 23.12.2025. 2:30 p.m. DR Congo – Benin
- 23.12.2025. 17:00. Senegal – Botswana
- 23.12.2025. 19:30. Nigeria – Tanzania
- 23.12.2025. 22:00. Tunisia – Uganda
- 24.12.2025. 2:30 p.m. Burkina Faso – Equatorial Guinea
- 24.12.2025. 17:00. Algeria – Sudan
- 24.12.2025. 19:30. Ivory Coast – Mozambique
- 24.12.2025. 22:00. Cameroon – Gabon
- 26.12.2025. 2:30 p.m. Angola – Zimbabwe
- 26.12.2025. 17:00. Egypt – South Africa
- 26.12.2025. 19:30. Zambia – Comoros
- 26.12.2025. 22:00. Morocco – Mali
- 27.12.2025. 2:30 p.m. Benin – Botswana
- 27.12.2025. 17:00. Senegal – DR Congo
- 27.12.2025. 19:30. Uganda – Tanzania
- 27.12.2025. 22:00. Nigeria – Tunisia
- 28.12.2025. 2:30 p.m. Gabon – Mozambique
- 28.12.2025. 17:00. Equatorial Guinea – Sudan
- 28.12.2025. 19:30. Algeria – Burkina Faso
- 28.12.2025. 22:00. Ivory Coast – Cameroon
- 29.12.2025. 18:00. Angola – Egypt
- 29.12.2025. 18:00. Zimbabwe – South Africa
- 29.12.2025. 21:00. Storerooms – Small
- 29.12.2025. 21:00. Zambia – Morocco
- 30.12.2025. 18:00. Tanzania – Tunisia
- 30.12.2025. 18:00. Uganda – Nigeria
- 30.12.2025. 21:00. Benin – Senegal
- 30.12.2025. 21:00. Botswana – DR Congo
- 31.12.2025. 18:00. Equatorial Guinea – Algeria
- 31.12.2025. 18:00. Sudan – Burkina Faso
- 31.12.2025. 21:00. Gabon – Ivory Coast
- 31.12.2025. 21:00. Mozambique – Cameroon
Infographics
Source: sport.ua