The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is gearing up to deliver a landmark edition as Morocco prepares to host the continent’s biggest football festival from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

It will be the first AFCON ever held across Christmas and New Year—a unique twist for fans and players, Footballrover reports.

AFCON 2025 Host Nation and Tournament Timeline

Ivory Coast will be coming into this tournament as defending champions after their dramatic turnaround victory over Nigeria in February 2024.

The road to selecting Morocco wasn’t straightforward. Guinea had originally been chosen but lost its hosting rights in September 2022 after CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed the country could not meet the required infrastructure standards.

This opened the door for Morocco, officially awarded the tournament on September 27, 2023. The North African nation last staged AFCON in 1988, and their modern facilities positioned them as a strong alternative.

AFCON 2025 was initially scheduled for a summer window to minimise conflict with club football, but FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup forced CAF to push the competition to a winter start.

AFCON 2025 Stadiums Across Six Host Cities

Fans will experience the tournament across nine impressive stadiums spread across Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Tangier:

Adrar Stadium, Agadir – 45,480

Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca – 45,000

Fez Stadium, Fez – 45,000

Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh – 45,240

Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat – 68,700

Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat – 22,000

Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympic Annex Stadium, Rabat – 21,000

Al Barid Stadium, Rabat – 18,000

Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier – 75,000

Reigning AFCON Champions

Ivory Coast arrive as holders, having delivered one of the most unforgettable comebacks in AFCON history by defeating Nigeria 2–1 in Abidjan to secure their third continental crown.

AFCON 2025 Groups: Complete Breakdown

Group A

Comoros, Mali, Morocco, Zambia

Group B

Angola, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Group C

Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda

Group D

Benin, Botswana, DR Congo, Senegal

Group E

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan

Group F

Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mozambique

Group Stage Fixtures (GMT Time)

Below is the full schedule for all group-stage matches, including dates, stadiums, and kick-off times.

Sunday, December 21

Morocco vs Comoros, 7pm – Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat

Monday, December 22

Mali vs Zambia, 2:30pm – Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca

Egypt vs Zimbabwe, 5pm – Adrar Stadium, Agadir

South Africa vs Angola, 7:30pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Tuesday, December 23

Nigeria vs Tanzania, 12pm – Fez Stadium

Tunisia vs Uganda, 2:30pm – Olympic Annex Stadium, Rabat

Senegal vs Botswana, 5pm – Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier

DR Congo vs Benin, 7:30pm – Al Barid Stadium, Rabat

Wednesday, December 24

Algeria vs Sudan, 12pm – Moulay Hassan Stadium

Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, 2:30pm – Mohammed V Stadium

Ivory Coast vs Mozambique, 5pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Cameroon vs Gabon, 7:30pm – Adrar Stadium

Friday, December 26

Morocco vs Mali, 12pm – Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

Zambia vs Comoros, 2:30pm – Mohammed V Stadium

Egypt vs South Africa, 5pm – Adrar Stadium

Angola vs Zimbabwe, 7:30pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Saturday, December 27

Nigeria vs Tunisia, 12pm – Fez Stadium

Uganda vs Tanzania, 2:30pm – Al Barid Stadium

Senegal vs DR Congo, 5pm – Ibn Batouta Stadium

Benin vs Botswana, 7:30pm – Olympic Annex Stadium

Sunday, December 28

Algeria vs Burkina Faso, 12pm – Moulay Hassan Stadium

Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan, 2:30pm – Mohammed V Stadium

Ivory Coast vs Cameroon, 5pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Gabon vs Mozambique, 7:30pm – Adrar Stadium

Monday, December 29

Comoros vs Mali, 5:30pm – Mohammed V Stadium

Zambia vs Morocco, 5:30pm – Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

Angola vs Egypt, 7:30pm – Adrar Stadium

Zimbabwe vs South Africa, 7:30pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Tuesday, December 30

Tanzania vs Tunisia, 5pm – Olympic Annex Stadium

Uganda vs Nigeria, 5pm – Fez Stadium

Benin vs Senegal, 7:30pm – Ibn Batouta Stadium

Botswana vs DR Congo, 7:30pm – Al Barid Stadium

Wednesday, December 31

Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, 5pm – Moulay Hassan Stadium

Sudan vs Burkina Faso, 5pm – Mohammed V Stadium

Gabon vs Ivory Coast, 7:30pm – Marrakesh Stadium

Mozambique vs Cameroon, 7:30pm – Adrar Stadium

AFCON 2025 Knockout Phase

Round of 16: January 3–6, 2026

Quarter-finals: January 9–10, 2026

Semi-finals: January 14, 2026

Third-place Match: January 17, 2026

Final: January 18, 2026

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Last Updated on December 10, 2025 8:02 am by footballrover