Africa Cup of Nations 2025 group stage preview, schedule, fixtures: Morocco eye home glory as champions Cote d’Ivoire defend crown

Like a long, lost relative randomly showing up for Christmas dinner, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins at an unusual time this year.

Africa’s popular continental competition is no stranger to, let’s say, inconvenient timing in relation to the European football calendar, and this year is no different.

Usually taking place around January and February, the 35th edition of the competition actually begins in late December of this year, continuing right through to the final a month later.

Why is AFCON 2025 taking place in December?

When is AFCON 2025 taking place?

The tournament begins on December 21, 2025, straddling the Christmas and New Year period and continuing into January, with the final taking place on January 18, 2026.

Who is hosting AFCON 2025?

Morocco will be the venue as 24 teams look set to battle it out to become the kings of Africa.

What are the AFCON 2025 groups?

Group A

Tournament hosts Morocco are one of the strongest sides on the continent and will be looking to lift the trophy for the first time since their solitary title back in 1976.

However, things might not be that straightforward for The Atlas Lions as they are joined in the group by perennial dark horses Mali, with the two-time bronze medallists hoping to improve on their quarter-final exit in the last tournament.

Champions from 2012 Zambia, complete with Leicester’s Patson Daka, and a Comoros side who memorably shocked Ghana in 2022 to reach the last 16, make up the quartet.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Sunday, December 21

• Morocco v Comoros (19:30)

Monday, December 22

Friday, December 26

• Morocco v Mali (12:00)
• Zambia v Comoros (14:30)

Monday, December 29

• Zambia v Morocco (17:30)
• Comoros v Mali (17:30)

Group B

Morocco’s North African neighbours Egypt head up group B with Mohamed Salah and co aiming to finally get their hands on the trophy they narrowly missed out on in 2022.

Bafana Bafana were beaten in the semis in 2024, so they will look to go one better in Morocco with Burnley forward Lyle Foster one of the key men to watch in the South Africa squad.

Angola reached the quarter-finals last time out, having topped a qualifying group that saw powerhouse Ghana finish bottom, while Zimbabwe will look to make it out of the group stage for the very first time.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Monday, December 22

• Egypt v Zimbabwe (17:00)
• South Africa v Angola (19:30)

Friday, December 26

• Egypt v South Africa (17:00)
• Angola v Zimbabwe (19:30)

Monday, December 29

• Angola v Egypt (19:30)
• Zimbabwe v South Africa (19:30)

‘He wasn’t the only one’ – Slot admits Salah wasn’t happy being on bench but praised professionalism

Video credit: SNTV

Group C

Nigeria come into the tournament off the back of recent failure to qualify for the World Cup and will have double the determination in their pursuit of the trophy here following defeat in the final to Cote d’Ivoire in 2024.

Also in the group are a Tunisia side who stormed to World Cup qualification and have a recent pre-tournament friendly draw with Brazil to hang their hat on.

On paper, these two will be expected to fight it out for top spot with underdogs Uganda and a Tanzania side, who have failed to win a match in over a year, making up the group.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Tuesday, December 23

• Nigeria v Tanzania (12:00)
• Tunisia v Uganda (14:30)

Saturday, December 27

• Nigeria v Tunisia (12:00)
• Uganda v Tanzania (14:30)

Tuesday, December 30

• Uganda v Nigeria (17:00)
• Tanzania v Tunisia (17:00)

Group D

DR Congo beat Nigeria in that crucial World Cup play-off to advance to the inter-confederation play-offs in March, so they may well have one eye on that.

In addition to that win, the team also eliminated another potential powerhouse in Cameroon and appear to be on the up, having only missed out on automatic qualification courtesy of a 3-2 loss to Senegal, who they have a chance of revenge against in Morocco.

Benin will believe they can sneak through as a best third-place side, with lowest-ranked side Botswana making just their second AFCON appearance and on the search for a first point – although the outsiders could be primed for a shock having drawn with Egypt to seal qualification.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Tuesday, December 23

• Senegal v Botswana (17:00)
• DR Congo v Benin (19:30)

Saturday, December 27

• Senate v DR Congo (17:00)
• Benin v Botswana (19:30)

Tuesday, December 30

• Benin v Senegal (19:30)
• Botswana v DR Congo (19:30)

Group E

The smart money would of course be on two-time winners Algeria to navigate their way through this group without much fuss, but a Burkina Faso side boasting Brentford’s Dango Ouattara and Sunderland’s Bertrand Traore will be no pushovers.

Equatorial Guinea have made it out of the groups in the last two tournaments and, with national legend Emilio Nsue still leading the charge, will look to leave some kind of mark on the tournament once more.

Sudan will be naturally considered outsiders but have former Ghana player and manager Kewsi Appiah in the dugout, who led his current side to qualification at the expense of his birth nation, taking four points off The Black Stars in the process.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Wednesday, December 24

• Algeria v Sudan (12:00)
• Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea (14:30)

Sunday, December 28

• Algeria in Burkina Faso (12:00)
• Equatorial Guinea v Sudan (14:30)

Wednesday, December 31

• Equatorial Guinea v Algeria (17:00)
• Sudan v Burkina Faso (17:00)

Group F

Cote d’Ivoire boast one of the most remarkable tournament success stories of all time following their 2023 win on home soil, having looked to be heading out in the groups and sacking their manager mid-competition, only to storm back to take the trophy.

They remain a formidable outfit and should navigate their group with less drama than last time around.

Their main challengers for top spot will be a Cameroon side for whom behind-the-scenes issues could undermine their chances, having sacked manager Marc Brys just weeks before their opening match.

Gabon, spearheaded by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, will eye at least a spot in the last 16 with Mozambique the fourth team in the group, themselves eyeing up a first-ever win in the competition at the sixth time of asking.

Fixtures (all times UK)

Wednesday, December 24

• Ivory Coast v Mozambique (17:00)
• Cameroon v Gabon (19:30)

Sunday, December 28

• Cote d’Ivoire v Cameroon (17:00)
• Gabon v Mozambique (19:30)

Wednesday, December 31

• Gabon v Ivory Coast (7:30 p.m.)
• Mozambique v Cameroon (19:30)

Ivory Coast celebrate winning the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

Image credit: Getty Images

When are the AFCON knockout rounds?

Round of 16

• January 3 – January 6, 2026

Quarter finals

Semi-finals

Third-place play-off

Final