All You Need to Know About the 35th AFCON: Groups, Venues, Fixtures and Full Schedule
The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is set to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, marking the first time the tournament will run across the Christmas and New Year period.
Ivory Coast enter the competition as defending champions after their dramatic comeback victory over Nigeria in the 2023 final, played in February 2024.
Host Nation and Tournament Background
AFCON 2025 was originally awarded to Guinea, but in September 2022 CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the country would be stripped of hosting rights due to inadequate infrastructure.
Morocco was later selected as the new host on September 27, 2023, returning to stage the tournament for the first time since 1988.
The competition was initially scheduled for the summer of 2025, but the expanded FIFA Club World Cup forced CAF to shift AFCON into the winter window.
Host Cities and Stadiums
Six Moroccan cities will host matches across nine stadiums:
Agadir: Adrar Stadium (45,480)
Casablanca: Mohammed V Stadium (45,000)
Fez: Fez Stadium (45,000)
Marrakesh: Marrakesh Stadium (45,240)
Rabat:
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (68,700)
Moulay Hassan Stadium (22,000)
Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympic Annex Stadium (21,000)
Al Barid Stadium (18,000)
Tangier: Ibn Batouta Stadium (75,000)
Reigning Champions
Ivory Coast arrive as the team to beat after lifting their third AFCON title in 2023, defeating Nigeria 2–1 in Abidjan in one of the most memorable finals in tournament history.
Group Stage Draw
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
Full Group Stage Schedule (All Times GMT)
Sunday, December 21
Morocco vs Comoros: 7pm, Rabat
Monday, December 22
Mali vs Zambia: 2:30pm, Casablanca
Egypt vs Zimbabwe: 5pm, Agadir
South Africa vs Angola: 7:30pm, Marrakesh
Tuesday, December 23
Nigeria vs Tanzania: 12pm, Fez
Ivory Coast vs Mozambique: 5pm, Marrakesh
Cameroon vs Gabon: 7:30pm, Agadir
Friday, December 26
Morocco vs Mali: 12pm, Rabat
Zambia vs Comoros: 2:30pm, Casablanca
Egypt vs South Africa: 5pm, Agadir
Angola vs Zimbabwe: 7:30pm, Marrakesh
Saturday, December 27
Nigeria vs Tunisia: 12pm, Fez
Uganda vs Tanzania: 2:30pm, Rabat (Al Barid)
Tunisia vs Uganda: 2:30pm, Rabat (Annex)
Senegal vs Botswana: 5pm, Tangier
DR Congo vs Benin: 7:30pm, Rabat (Al Barid)
Wednesday, December 24
Algeria vs Sudan: 12pm, Rabat (Moulay Hassan)
Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea: 2:30pm, Casablanca
Senegal vs DR Congo: 5pm, Tangier
Benin vs Botswana: 7:30pm, Rabat (Annex)
Sunday, December 28
Algeria vs Burkina Faso: 12pm, Rabat (Moulay Hassan)
Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan: 2:30pm, Casablanca
Ivory Coast vs Cameroon: 5pm, Marrakesh
Gabon vs Mozambique: 7:30pm, Agadir
Monday, December 29
Comoros vs Mali: 5:30pm, Casablanca
Zambia vs Morocco: 5:30pm, Rabat
Angola vs Egypt: 7:30pm, Agadir
Zimbabwe vs South Africa: 7:30pm, Marrakesh
Tuesday, December 30
Tanzania vs Tunisia: 5pm, Rabat (Annex)
Uganda vs Nigeria: 5pm, Fez
Benin vs Senegal: 7:30pm, Tangier
Botswana vs DR Congo: 7:30pm, Rabat (Al Barid)
Wednesday, December 31
Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria: +5pm, Rabat (Moulay Hassan)
Sudan vs Burkina Faso: 5pm, Casablanca
Gabon vs Ivory Coast: 7:30pm, Marrakesh
Mozambique vs Cameroon: 7:30pm, Agadir
Knockout Stage Dates
Round of 16: January 3–6, 2026
Quarter-finals: January 9–10, 2026
Semi-finals: January 14, 2026
Third-place Playoff: January 17, 2026
Final: January 18, 2026
