The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has today officially appointed Morocco to host Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. This riveting tournament will take place from Sunday, December 21, 2025 through Sunday, January 18, 2026. Speaking of homecomings, this tournament will be historic as Morocco last hosted AFCON in 1988. It promises to be a milestone historic occasion! It will be the first time in history that the tournament is held across the traditional Christmas and New Year period.
Originally, Guinea was chosen to host AFCON 2025. In September 2022, CAF president Patrice Motsepe dropped a bombshell. He announced that Guinea would be stripped of its rights to host because of serious logistical and infrastructural obstacles. Morocco’s experience organizing the tournament will add a significant advantage to the upcoming tournament’s success. This small adjustment makes for a much better experience, on and off the field!
Host Cities and Stadiums
Morocco will utilize six cities for this prestigious tournament: Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Tangier. In addition, each city will be equipped with cutting-edge venues, providing each team and their supporters with first-class facilities while competing in the world-renowned event.
The stadiums include:
- Adrar Stadium in Agadir with a capacity of 45,480
- Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, accommodating 45,000 spectators
- Fez Stadium in Fez, also with a capacity of 45,000
- Marrakesh Stadium in Marrakesh featuring a capacity of 45,240
- Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which can hold 68,700 fans
- Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat with a capacity of 22,000
- Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympic Annex Stadium in Rabat accommodating 21,000 spectators
- Al Barid Stadium in Rabat with a capacity of 18,000
- Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier boasting a large capacity of 75,000
This diverse mix of stadiums makes for an electric environment. Supporters will be able to passionately cheer on their respective national teams at various stadiums.
Tournament Structure and Teams
It’ll be a new AFCON too, as the continental championship will have its biggest edition yet when 24 teams fight for Africa’s greatest prize. Those teams will then be split into six groups of four. The groupings are as follows:
- Group A: Morocco, Comoros, Mali, Zambia
- Group B: Egypt, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola
- Group C: Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda
- Group D: Senegal, Botswana, DR Congo, Benin
- Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
- Group F: Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Cameroon, Gabon
The group stage matches will transition into knockout rounds where teams will compete for a shot at the final. Ivory Coast prevailed in the last edition. They went on to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final.
CAF then made the surprise announcement to shift the tournament’s dates from summer, its long-time home. This move by FIFA was forced by the extension and reprogramming of the FIFA Club World Cup. This change aims to ensure that football fans around the continent can fully engage with the tournament during a festive season.
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