The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on Sunday night as hosts Morocco got off to a winning start, and the Atlas Lions are one of the nations from the northern edge of the vast continent with their eyes on the main prize.
With the 2026 World Cup just six months away and plenty of African interest in that showcase tournament, AFCON is a chance for fans around the world and our SBOTOP team to take a look at the nations which can make an impact in Canada, Mexico and the United States or America.
Morocco reached the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar in 2022 and they were the first African nation to reach the 2026 finals but, in the meantime they will try to win their first African Cup of Nations title since 1976. On the 35th edition of this biennial tournament, this is the second time Morocco have hosted the finals, first doing so in 1988. The pressure is on the Atlas Lions to perform after the Ivory Coast won as hosts in 2023, though they made hard work of it, scraping through the group stage and sacking their head coach mid way through the competition.
But Morocco have made a winning start to this competition with a 2-0 victory over a stubborn Comoros, who held the hosts until half time to frustrate the expectant fans; but when Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz fired in from a Noussair Mazraoui’s cross he lifted the roof off the stadium in Rabat. And the celebrations went into overdrive when a brilliant acrobatic finish from Ayoub El Kaabi made it 2-0 and a comfortable opening for Morocco.
The early AFCON 2025 betting odds make the hosts the favourites to win the tournament and, with 16 wins and one draw in 2025, the highest rated African side, 11th in the FIFA rankings, is clearly the team to beat. Morocco have two more nations from the northern coast of Africa on their tails, in Algeria and Egypt, ranked 34th and 35th by FIFA.
This is the first time the tournament will be played over the Christmas and New Year holiday and Algeria open up on Christmas Eve with a tie against Sudan. The Algerians have a record of ten wins, three draws and a single defeat in 2025, a 4-3 loss to Sweden back in June. The 1990 and 2019 champions are captained by former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, now playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ahli. And they have a present Sky Blues star in their ranks in 24 year old wingback Rayan Ait Nouri.
Managed by former Switzerland boss Vladimir Petkovic, this is a nation with a mission in mind after they crashed out of the 2023 tournament in disastrous fashion, finishing bottom of their group. But the arrival of Petkovic last season has instilled a winning mentality into the Fennecs as they took 16 points from 18 in qualifying, and they too will be at the World Cup in North America. This is a side with star quality; not only will Mahrez still strut his stuff, a dangerous attacking midfielder with a killer ball, keep an eye too on AC Milan midfielder Ismail Bennacer, currently on loan at Dinamo Zagreb. The 28 year old is a classy defensive midfielder, sitting in front of the back four and capable of gaining territory with a strong run or using his impressive array of passing.
Seven times tournament winners Egypt will come to the tournament with high hopes after a solid year of six wins, four draws and two defeats, and they open up with one of the matches of the week against South Africa on Boxing Day. Egypt talisman Mo Salah has been out of sorts at Liverpool and he may welcome the chance to join up with the Pharaohs. The 33 year old is sure to be among the AFCON 2025 highlights, and if he does hit form then Egypt will be serious contenders. With 61 goals in 107 internationals Salah is eight behind the nation’s top scorer of all time, Hossam Hassan, now the team’s head coach. And the former Al Ahly striker must be pleased with the firepower of his current crop of forwards. Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush is a potential star of the tournament; he made his name as a one in two striker with Eintracht Frankfurt before his big money move to Manchester. And also look out for Nantes forward Mustafa Mohamed; the 28 year old is a spiky character and will give any defence a good fight.
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