Morocco steps into the spotlight on Sunday as the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway, with the host nation determined to deliver a tournament that matches its growing ambitions on the global football stage.
The month-long competition is being treated as a major test run ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host. In preparation, the kingdom has launched one of the most expansive infrastructure drives ever seen in African sport, reshaping stadiums, transport links and host cities to meet international standards.
A total of 24 teams will battle for continental supremacy across nine newly built or fully refurbished venues in six cities. Morocco enters the tournament among the leading contenders, buoyed by its historic run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, a breakthrough moment for African football.
Ivory Coast arrives as defending champion after a scarcely believable title run on home soil at the previous edition, while Nigeria will be chasing redemption following its defeat in the final. Senegal, led by Sadio Mané, returns after lifting the trophy in 2021, and Egypt will be eager to keep its focus on the pitch as speculation swirls around Mohamed Salah and a possible record-extending eighth Africa Cup triumph.
Below is a guide to the 35th staging of the biennial tournament.
The hosting rights have followed a familiar pattern of upheaval. Guinea was originally awarded the 2025 edition but lost the tournament in 2022 after the Confederation of African Football concluded the country would not be ready in time. Morocco, itself stripped of hosting duties in 2015, volunteered to take over. Every Africa Cup since 2013 has been relocated due to issues with the original host.
Scheduling has also been a moving target. This edition was first slated for the summer, but CAF opted to shift the dates to avoid a clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, AP’s report clarified. The competition was moved to a summer window in 2017, starting with the 2019 tournament in Egypt, before the delayed 2021 edition was pushed back to January because of the “unfavorable climatic conditions” in Cameroon.
Morocco, champions only once in 1976, carries the weight of expectation as it seeks a long-awaited second title. The Atlas Lions open their campaign against Comoros at the newly built Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which holds 69,500 spectators. Mali and Zambia complete Group A.
Group B features a headline meeting between Egypt and South Africa, the side that knocked Morocco out of the last tournament. Angola and Zimbabwe will be hoping to disrupt the established order.
Nigeria is widely tipped to lead Group C, where it will contend with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
Group D pairs Senegal with Congo, alongside Benin and Botswana. Congo’s last campaign ended only at the hands of eventual champion Ivory Coast in the semifinals.
Algeria faces early pressure in Group E after a disappointing group-stage exit at the previous Africa Cup. The Desert Foxes will take on Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.
Group F promises one of the most compelling battles, with defending champion Ivory Coast drawn alongside five-time winner Cameroon. Cameroon’s buildup has been unsettled by the dismissal of its coach following a dispute with federation president Samuel Eto’o. Gabon and Mozambique round out the group.
Four-time champion Ghana failed to qualify.
The tournament format sends the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed sides, into the knockout rounds.
Much of the pre-tournament imagery in Rabat features Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, whose face dominates advertising displays across the city. Whether he recovers fully from an ankle injury in time to play remains a key question.
Salah will command intense scrutiny in the Egypt camp amid talk of a possible departure from Liverpool after he publicly expressed frustration over limited playing time. Now 33, he has yet to win the Africa Cup, coming closest in 2017 and 2022 when Egypt finished runner-up.
Nigeria will once again lean heavily on Victor Osimhen. The Galatasaray striker’s recent injury problems were a major factor in the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup.
For Cameroon, Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo is expected to play a central role, while Ivory Coast will look to Yan Diomande to add sparkle after his impressive start to the season with German club Leipzig.
