After weeks of debate over player availability and fixture congestion, attention now turns to the pitch as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kicks off in Morocco on Sunday. As ever, the continent’s premier international tournament promises drama, unpredictability, and high emotion — but two storylines dominate the build-up.
Can Mohamed Salah finally lift the Afcon trophy with Egypt at the fifth attempt? And will Morocco, buoyed by home advantage and a record-breaking winning streak, fulfil expectations by claiming only their second continental title?
Yet focusing solely on those questions risks overlooking what makes Afcon unique: a competition where reputations mean little, pressure is immense, and surprises are almost guaranteed.
Salah’s Last Push for Continental Glory
At 33, Mohamed Salah enters Afcon 2025 with his legacy already secure at club level — but international silverware has continued to elude him. Egypt’s talisman has twice tasted heartbreak in Afcon finals, most recently in 2022, and this tournament may represent his final realistic chance to claim the “holy grail of African football”.
Salah arrives in Morocco amid intense scrutiny following his public frustration with Liverpool earlier this month, when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club. After returning from the bench at Anfield last weekend, his focus now switches fully to Egypt and a fifth attempt to conquer Africa.
For a player whose career has been defined by goals, consistency, and resilience, lifting Afcon would complete a remarkable personal journey.
Morocco Carry Weight of Expectation on Home Soil
Morocco enter the tournament as favourites, driven by home advantage and a remarkable run of 18 consecutive international victories, a world record that surpassed Spain’s previous best.
Under coach Walid Regragui, the Atlas Lions have been Africa’s top-ranked side since their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, where they became the first African nation to reach the last four.
Yet history offers caution. Morocco were eliminated in the last 16 at Afcon 2023, and their recent winning streak has come largely against sides outside the global top 50. Managing expectation, rather than talent, may be their greatest challenge.
Tickets sold out within hours, and the pressure from home supporters — who dream of celebrating a first Afcon title since 1976 — will be relentless.
“In Africa the most important thing is that you play with your heart,” said midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
“The fans give you energy. If we show intensity, with our quality we can go very far.”
Captain Achraf Hakimi, recently crowned African Player of the Year, is racing to be fit, but even without him Morocco are expected to progress comfortably from the group stage.
Afcon’s Defining Trait: Unpredictability
Recent history underlines why Afcon defies prediction. Hosts Ivory Coast produced a stunning triumph last year despite sacking their coach during the group stage, while Senegal reinforced their credentials by defeating England in June.
Nigeria, runners-up in 2023, are determined to go one step further, while Algeria, powered by prolific forward Mohamed Amoura, look poised to reach the knockout stages after early exits in recent editions.
Meanwhile, five-time champions Cameroon arrive amid chaos, having dismissed coach Marc Brys weeks before the tournament and controversially omitted stars Andre Onana and Vincent Aboubakar.
“We wanted a different mindset,” said new coach David Pagou, defending the bold decisions.
With seven different winners in the last eight tournaments, Afcon 2025 looks wide open once again.
Scheduling Tensions and Club vs Country Debate
Another mid-season Afcon has reignited tensions between European clubs and African national teams. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) was forced into a compromise after Fifa’s expanded Club World Cup crowded the calendar, reducing the mandatory player release period from 14 days to just seven.
The decision disrupted preparations for several teams. Mali coach Tom Saintfiet described it as “catastrophic”, while Comoros were forced to cancel a friendly and shorten their training camp ahead of the opening match against Morocco.
Caf, however, remains committed to staging Afcon every two years, with the tournament serving as the organisation’s primary source of revenue for reinvestment in African football.
Cameroon Turmoil and Emerging Challengers
Away from the spotlight, South Africa continue to build steadily under Hugo Broos, while Sudan’s qualification — achieved despite playing all matches away due to civil war — stands as one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories.
Botswana, Mozambique, and Tanzania are all chasing their first-ever Afcon victories, while Tanzania are also building toward co-hosting the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Although 12 former champions are competing, history suggests that pedigree alone guarantees nothing at the Cup of Nations.
More Than a Trophy
For Morocco, Afcon 2025 is about more than football. Recent protests over infrastructure spending and devastating floods in coastal regions have placed the tournament in a broader national context, with organisers keen to ensure the event reflects stability and progress.
For players and fans alike, the stakes are deeply emotional.
“We have supporters who waited 60 years to see us win something,” said Regragui.
“These moments stay forever — like weddings or the birth of your children.”
As the tournament begins, one truth remains constant: Afcon rewards belief, resilience, and heart as much as talent. Whether Salah finally finds redemption or Morocco deliver long-awaited home glory, Africa’s greatest football spectacle is once again ready to captivate.
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