Rabat, Morocco: The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 enters its decisive stage this Wednesday as four of Africa’s biggest football powers, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria and hosts Morocco, battle for places in the final.
Record seven-time champions Egypt completed the semi-final line-up on Saturday night after edging defending champions Côte d’Ivoire 3-2 in a pulsating quarter-final that brought the Elephants’ title defence to an end.
The Pharaohs will now face Senegal in Tangier on Tuesday, January 13, at 18:00 local time in a heavyweight encounter widely viewed as a final before the final.
Senegal were the first team to book a place in the last four after grinding out a composed 1-0 victory over Mali on Friday. The Teranga Lions, AFCON winners in 2021, are chasing a second successive final as they continue their impressive run under coach Pape Thiaw.
The fixture renews one of African football’s fiercest rivalries and is a repeat of the 2022 AFCON final, which Senegal won on penalties. Egypt will be seeking revenge, while Senegal will be determined to reaffirm their dominance on the continental stage. The clash will also see Mohamed Salah come up against former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané.
The encounter will be staged at the Grand Stade de Tanger, a 75,000-capacity arena that has already hosted several high-profile matches during the tournament and is expected to generate a charged atmosphere.
In the second semi-final, hosts Morocco will lock horns with Nigeria in Rabat at 21:00 local time on Wednesday, January 14. The Atlas Lions advanced to the last four after a convincing 2-0 win over Cameroon, extending their strong form on home soil.
Nigeria secured their semi-final slot with a clinical 2-0 victory over Algeria in Marrakech. The Super Eagles are targeting a fourth AFCON crown, while Morocco are aiming to lift the continental title for the first time since 1976.
Both sides remain unbeaten at the tournament. Nigeria have won all five of their matches, while Morocco have recorded four wins and one draw. It will be their sixth AFCON meeting, with all previous encounters producing a winner.
This will be the second time the two sides meet in an AFCON semi-final. Nigeria won the first in 1980 with a 1-0 victory on their way to lifting the trophy. Morocco, however, hold the overall head-to-head advantage, with six wins compared to Nigeria’s three.
Nigeria’s record against host nations at AFCON stands at three wins, three draws and four defeats from ten meetings. They faced hosts Côte d’Ivoire at the 2023 edition, beating them in the group stage before losing the final.
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