2025_Africa_Cup_of_Nations
2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Scheduled 35th edition of AFCON
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as AFCON 2025 or CAN 2025, is scheduled to be the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It will be hosted by Morocco for the second time and the first since 1988 in July and August 2025.[1][2][3][4] Morocco was originally scheduled to host the 2015 edition, but withdrew due to fears stemming from the Western African Ebola virus epidemic. Due to FIFA expanding its Club World Cup competition to 32 teams and having it scheduled for June and July that year, this edition of the tournament will be played a month later than was originally scheduled.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Morocco |
| Dates | TBD |
| Teams | 24 |
| Venue(s) | 6 (in 6 host cities) |
← 2023 2027 → | |
This edition of the tournament is scheduled to be the second after 2019 to take place during the northern hemisphere's summer, in order to reduce scheduling conflicts with European club teams and competitions;[5][6][7][8] the previous 2023 edition was moved to January and February 2024 owing to the adverse summer weather conditions in Ivory Coast.[9][10]
Guinea was originally set as hosts for this edition of the tournament, but had its hosting rights stripped after affirming its inadequacy of hosting preparations.[11][12] After a second bidding process,[13] Morocco was named as the new hosts on 27 September 2023.[14]
CAF stripped Cameroon from hosting the 2019 edition of the tournament on 30 November 2018 due lack of speed of progress in preparations,[15] but accepted former CAF president Ahmad Ahmad's request to stage the next edition in 2021. Consequently, the original hosts of 2021, Ivory Coast, became hosts of the 2023 edition with Guinea instead hosting the 2025 edition, which until then had no hosts.[16] The CAF President confirmed the timetable shift after a meeting with Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on 30 January 2019.[17]
On 30 September 2022, current CAF president Patrice Motsepe announced that Guinea had been stripped as host for the 2025 edition due to inadequacy and speed of progress in hosting preparations.[11] Consequently, a new process was re-opened for a replacement host bidder.[13][18] On 27 September 2023, the 2025 edition was awarded to Morocco[14] and the 2027 edition to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.[19][20]
The detailed schedule has the following format according to Daily Post Nigeria:[21]
- Preliminary round : 20 – 26 March 2024
- Matchdays 1 and 2 : 2 – 10 September 2024
- Matchdays 3 and 4 : 7 – 15 October 2024
- Matchdays 5 and 6 : 11 – 19 November 2024
On 18 February 2024, CAF released the procedures for the preliminary round and its draw[22][23] which was held at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt two days later, i.e. 20 February.[24]
Qualified teams
The following teams have qualified for this edition of the tournament.
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
FIFA ranking at start of event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Morocco | Hosts | 27 September 2023 | 20th | 2023 | Champions (1976) |
On 27 September 2023, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation unveiled a list of six stadiums in six cities to host this edition of the tournament.
| Casablanca | Rabat | Tangier | Marrakesh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed V Stadium | Moulay Abdellah Stadium | Ibn Batouta Stadium | Marrakesh Stadium |
| Capacity: 45,891 | Capacity: 50,000 | Capacity: 65,000 | Capacity: 45,240 |
| Agadir | |||
| Adrar Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 45,480 | |||
| Fez | |||
| Fez Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 45,000 | |||
The top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
Tiebreakers
Teams will be ranked according to the three points for a win system (3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0/none points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 74):[25]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, if two teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are applied exclusively to these two teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Drawing of lots.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(H) Hosts
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | C2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | C4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | D2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | D4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | E2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | E4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | F2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible knockout stage based on ranking |
| 4 | F4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ranking of third-placed teams
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | B | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | C | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | D | D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | E | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | F | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
Combinations of matches in the round of 16
The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depend on which four third-placed teams qualify for the round of 16:
| Third-placed teams qualify from groups |
1A vs |
1B vs |
1C vs |
1D vs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3B | |||
| A | B | C | E | 3C | 3A | 3B | 3E | |||
| A | B | C | F | 3C | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | B | D | E | 3D | 3A | 3B | 3E | |||
| A | B | D | F | 3D | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | B | E | F | 3E | 3A | 3B | 3F | |||
| A | C | D | E | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3E | |||
| A | C | D | F | 3C | 3D | 3A | 3F | |||
| A | C | E | F | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3E | |||
| A | D | E | F | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | |||
| B | C | D | E | 3C | 3D | 3B | 3E | |||
| B | C | D | F | 3C | 3D | 3B | 3F | |||
| B | C | E | F | 3E | 3C | 3B | 3F | |||
| B | D | E | F | 3E | 3D | 3B | 3F | |||
| C | D | E | F | 3C | 3D | 3F | 3E | |||
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| Runner-up Group A | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group C | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R2 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R1 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group D | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd Group B/E/F | ||||||||||||||
| Winner QF1 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner QF4 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group B | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd Group A/C/D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R5 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R8 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group F | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner SF1 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner SF2 | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group B | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group F | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R7 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R6 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group A | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd Group C/D/E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner QF3 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner QF2 | Third place play-off | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group E | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner R4 | Loser SF1 | |||||||||||||
| Winner R3 | Loser SF2 | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group C | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd Group A/B/F | ||||||||||||||
Round of 16
| Winner Group D | R1 | 3rd Group B/E/F |
|---|---|---|
| Runner-up Group A | R2 | Runner-up Group C |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group A | R3 | 3rd Group C/D/E |
|---|---|---|
| Runner-up Group B | R4 | Runner-up Group F |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group B | R5 | 3rd Group A/C/D |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group C | R6 | 3rd Group A/B/F |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group E | R7 | Runner-up Group D |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Group F | R8 | Runner-up Group E |
|---|---|---|
Quarter-finals
| Winner R2 | QF1 | Winner R1 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner R4 | QF2 | Winner R3 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner R7 | QF3 | Winner R6 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner R5 | QF4 | Winner R8 |
|---|---|---|
Semi-finals
| Winner QF1 | SF1 | Winner QF4 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner QF3 | SF2 | Winner QF2 |
|---|---|---|
Third place play-off
| Loser SF1 | v | Loser SF2 |
|---|---|---|
Final
| Winner SF1 | v | Winner SF2 |
|---|---|---|
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- "AFCON 2025 to be scheduled forJuly-August 2025 in Morocco". africanews. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- "Afcon 2025 to be played in July-August with preliminary round starting next month". News24. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- "Copa África 2025: "Principio de acuerdo" para que se juegue en julio" [Africa Cup 2025: Agreement in principle to be played in July]. RPCTV (in European Spanish). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- "Africa Cup of Nations to switch from January staging to June in 2019". The Guardian. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- "Africa Cup of Nations: Date switch makes African players more attractive, say agents". BBC Sport. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- Imary, Gerald (21 July 2017). "African Cup of Nations finally moved away from mid-season and expanded from 16 to 24 teams". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- "FIFA Council makes key decisions for the future of football development". FIFA.com. FIFA. 26 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- "CAF President Dr Motsepe announces African Super League launch details, AFCON 2023 and Champions League key decisions" (Press release). CAFOnline.com. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
...the Executive Committee has decided that this edition of the tournament (the 2023 edition) will be postponed to the months of January and February 2024. The postponement is as a direct and sole result of the adverse weather conditions in the country and after also having received further technical opinion from experts on adverse effects of staging the matches in that period, as June and July are rainy seasons in Ivory Coast.
- Southby, Ben (3 July 2022). "Africa Cup of Nations 2023 finals have been postponed and moved to January 2024 due to weather concerns in Ivory Coast". Eurosport. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- "CAF President discusses withdrawal by CAF of AFCON Guinea 2025 with Guinea Transition President". CAFOnline.com. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- "Guinea stripped of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations: CAF president". beIN Sports. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- "CAF re-opens bidding process for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2025 hosting rights". CAFOnline.com. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- "Morocco to host 2025 Africa Cup of Nations". CAFOnline.com. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- "Cameroon stripped of hosting 2019 Africa Cup of Nations". BBC Sport. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- "CAN 2019 : le pays hôte sera connu le 9 janvier" [CAN 2019: the host country will be known on January 9]. Le Monde (in French). 10 December 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- "Cote d'Ivoire agrees CAF timetable shift". CAFOnline.com. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- Diallo, Abubakr (1 October 2022). "CAF : qui va organiser la CAN 2025 retirée à la Guinée ?" [CAF: who will organize the CAN 2025 withdrawn from Guinea?]. Afrik Foot (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Tanzania, Uganda & Kenya to host 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations". CAFOnline.com. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- "Morocco, East African nations win Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights". France 24. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- Oyebola, Mike (25 December 2023). "CAF announces kick-off date for AFCON 2025 qualifiers". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- "Draw for TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Round set for Tuesday". CAFOnline.com. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
... the preliminary draw of TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 scheduled for Tuesday, 20 February 2024 in Cairo, Egypt.
- "Draw procedures of the preliminary round of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. 18 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- "TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Draw conducted". CAFOnline.com. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
Both home and away fixtures of the qualifiers are scheduled to take place in the next FIFA International Break between 20 – 26 March 2024.
- Nassar, Khaled (21 October 2021). "Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 11 January 2022.