Hosts and Africa’s number one ranked team Morocco will certainly be the hot favourites to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which kicks off on Sunday.
The Atlas Lions would be buoyed by the fact that they are playing in their own backyard and with a population of almost 40 million, a lot would be expected from the North African nation.
Morocco’s senior national team has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years. They became the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and have held on to top spot in the continent for the past four years, having leapfrogged Senegal.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Walid Regragui’s men is the fact that their AFCON record is nothing to write home about.
Champions in 1976, their best finish since then was a runners-up spot in 2004, when they went down 2-1 to Tunisia, who hosted the tournament that year.
In the AFCON, Morocco have a lot to prove, while there are certainly other real contenders for the title.
Besides Morocco, African Times has picked four other teams that are favourites for the title.
Senegal
In terms of rankings, the Teranga Lions are the second best team in Africa and after winning their first AFCON title in 2021, more is expected from a squad of their caliber.
Cote d’Ivoire
From interim appointment to national hero, Emerse Faé authored one of AFCON’s greatest redemption stories in 2023. Now fully in charge, the former midfielder seeks to prove that Cote d’Ivoire’s triumph was the start of a new era, not a one-off miracle.
South Africa
Probably the dark horse of the lot and guided by 2017 AFCON winner, Hugo Broos. Bafana Bafana came third in the previous edition and Broos has spoken about ambitions to reach the semifinals again, but then again there’s an expectation to go one better.
Egypt
Former captain Hossam Hassan is now in charge of the Pharaohs. They hold the record with seven AFCON titles and when it comes to the North Africans, an eighth crown is not out of the question.
Let the games begin.
