Morocco, which made history by reaching the semifinals in the last World Cup, has been placed in a group alongside Mali, Zambia, and Comoros for the upcoming men’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which it will host.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 21 to January 18, marking it as one of the largest soccer events in Morocco prior to their co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. This remarkable achievement came after Morocco bested both Spain and Portugal in the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals, though they ultimately fell short against France in that match.

In the previous Africa Cup of Nations, held a year ago, Morocco experienced an unexpected exit during the round of 16, where they were defeated by South Africa.
The defending champions, Ivory Coast, who hosted the last edition of the tournament, are set to kick off their title defense in a challenging group that includes Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique.
Nigeria, which finished as the runner-up last year, featuring star forwards Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, has been grouped with Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Egypt’s national team, led by Mohamed Salah, who is still in pursuit of his first Africa Cup title at 33 years old, finds itself in a group with South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
The reigning champion, Senegal, will take on opponents Congo, Benin, and Botswana in their group.
Algeria, the winners of the 2019 tournament, have been drawn with Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan.

Matches will be hosted across six cities: Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Tangier.
The tournament has been organized with an earlier kickoff scheduled for mid-December, assuring that players involved with European clubs can return in time for the Champions League at the end of January.
Less than six months following the Africa Cup, many of these players are expected to compete in the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Africa has secured nine spots for direct entry in the inaugural 48-team World Cup, showcasing the continent’s growing prowess on the international stage.