Sports

Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Dates, Fixtures & Everything To Expect In Morocco

Published

7 months ago

December 12, 2025

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will return with a historic twist.

The biggest football event on the continent will take place throughout Christmas and New Year’s for the first time, making for a memorable month-long football extravaganza.

Morocco, the host country, will play Comoros in the first game on December 21 at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The competition is the Atlas Lions’ greatest opportunity in decades to snap a title drought that dates back to 1976.

With a strong roster and fervent home support, Morocco, ranked as Africa’s top team going into the competition, are overwhelming favorites.

Former hosts Cote d’Ivoire currently hold the championship, having won it at home in 2023.

Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Groups

All six groups had interesting matchups as a result of the group-stage draw.

Morocco leads Group A, which also includes Comoros and Zambia. Group F, which includes traditional giants Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Togo, and reigning champions Ivory Coast, stands out as one of the hardest groups.

With Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania vying for knockout berths, Group C also guarantees fireworks.

The top two teams in each pool and the top four third-place teams move on to the round of 16, according to the tournament’s standard format of 24 teams divided into six groups.

Nine stadiums in six upgraded host cities—Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier, and Fes—will host games. Through the end of December, fans can anticipate four games nearly every day, making this one of the busiest Afcon schedules ever.

The player release dates have generated the most debate in the run-up to the tournament. A number of African coaches, like Tom Saintfiet of Mali, voiced their dissatisfaction as AFCON once again conflicts with the European season, claiming that FIFA’s obligatory release date of December 15 denies national teams enough time to prepare.

The football game promises to be exciting despite the schedule conflict. Morocco is the favorite going into the game because of both home advantage and their strong performance since 2024.

Senegal, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and DR Congo also enter as strong contenders in what is always an unpredictable tournament.

Agadir ready to embrace the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 spirit 🇲🇦

December 22. Mark your calendars ✅

pic.twitter.com/X32rwhkF9A
— TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 (@TotalAFCON2025) December 12, 2025

Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Full fixtures

Group A

Morocco vs Comoros – 21 December 2025

Mali vs Zambia – 22 December 2025

Morocco vs Zambia – 26 December 2025

Mali vs Comoros – 27 December 2025

Morocco vs Mali – 31 December 2025

Zambia vs Comoros – 31 December 2025

Group B

Senegal vs Namibia – 22 December 2025

Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 23 December 2025

Senegal vs South Africa – 27 December 2025

Burkina Faso vs Namibia – 28 December 2025

Senegal vs Burkina Faso – 1 January 2026

South Africa vs Namibia – 1 January 2026

Group C

Nigeria vs Uganda – 23 December 2025

Tunisia vs Tanzania – 24 December 2025

Nigeria vs Tanzania – 28 December 2025

Tunisia vs Uganda – 29 December 2025

Nigeria vs Tunisia – 2 January 2026

Uganda vs Tanzania – 2 January 2026

Group D

Egypt vs Cape Verde – 24 December 2025

Algeria vs Mauritania – 25 December 2025

Egypt vs Mauritania – 29 December 2025

Algeria vs Cape Verde – 30 December 2025

Egypt vs Algeria – 3 January 2026

Cape Verde vs Mauritania – 3 January 2026

Group E

DR Congo vs Guinea – 25 December 2025

Ghana vs Equatorial Guinea – 26 December 2025

DR Congo vs Equatorial Guinea – 30 December 2025

Ghana vs Guinea – 31 December 2025

DR Congo vs Ghana – 4 January 2026

Guinea vs Equatorial Guinea – 4 January 2026

Group F

Ivory Coast vs Togo – 26 December 2025

Cameroon vs Sierra Leone – 27 December 2025

Ivory Coast vs Sierra Leone – 31 December 2025

Cameroon vs Togo – 1 January 2026

Ivory Coast vs Cameroon – 5 January 2026

Sierra Leone vs Togo – 5 January 2026

match_schedule_totalenergies-caf-africa-cup-of-nations_morocco-25 Download

Football

Real Madrid To Sign Marc Cucurella From Chelsea

Published

1 month ago

June 14, 2026

AladdynKing

According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid and Chelsea have verbally agreed to sign Marc Cucurella. All parties, including the player, are believed to have agreed on the transaction; just the final details are still pending.

It is anticipated that the transaction will be completed for about 50 million euros. Romano claims that Jose Mourinho has made a special request to bolster the left-back position. Cucurella will join the Spanish powerhouses ahead of the upcoming season after leaving Chelsea following the World Cup.

The La Masia graduate is expected to make a significant transfer to the Catalan team’s fiercest rivals. Cucurella earned La Liga experience while playing for Eibar and Getafe before joining the Premier League.

Because of his performances, he was transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he made an impression before landing a job at Chelsea. He made 50 appearances for the London team in 2025–2026, including 34 in the Premier League, and recorded one goal and four assists.

Football

Germany 7-1 Curacao: 4-Time World Champions Cruise Past Debutants

Published

1 month ago

June 14, 2026

AladdynKing

Germany defeated World Cup rookies Curacao 7-1 in Houston on Sunday to get off to a strong start in their FIFA World Cup campaign.

Felix Nmecha gave Germany the lead after just six minutes, and they seemed to be in total control. But in the twenty-first minute, Livano Comenencia took advantage of a defensive error to score Curacao’s first-ever World Cup goal, shocking the four-time world champions and sending their supporters into wild jubilation.

Curacao had a small glimmer of optimism after the historic equaliser, but Germany’s talent quickly proved too much. Before Kai Havertz scored from the penalty spot to give Julian Nagelsmann’s team a comfortable 3-1 lead going into halftime, Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead.

After halftime, Germany maintained their lead thanks to a goal by Jamal Musiala a few minutes into the second half. Deniz Undav, Havertz, and Nathaniel Brown scored more goals as the Germans’ persistent offensive play overpowered their opponents.

Joshua Kimmich, who controlled the game’s tempo from midfield and provided assists, was crucial to Germany’s triumph. Curacao was unable to keep up with the Germans’ attacking movement and intensity because they had most of the possession and frequently generated opportunities.

Germany’s decisive win puts them atop Group E and gives their opponents a heads-up as they start their pursuit of World Cup title.

Even though Curacao lost badly in their tournament debut, the Caribbean nation will never forget the moment Comenencia scored their first goal on the largest football stage; a significant accomplishment for football in the nation’s history.

Football

Fulham To Appoint Alvaro Arbeloa As New Manager

Published

1 month ago

June 14, 2026

AladdynKing

Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Alvaro Arbeloa is nearing his first Premier League managing position after reaching the final stages of a deal to take over as Fulham’s head coach.

Fabrizio Romano claims that only the final details need to be finalised before Arbeloa is officially named Fulham’s new manager, following Marco Silva’s departure from Craven Cottage to take over at Benfica after five seasons.

Despite having little senior leadership experience, the former Real Madrid defender has a burgeoning reputation.

Before taking over Castilla, Arbeloa worked for several years in Madrid’s academy system and had success with the team’s young teams. He also temporarily took over the first-team dugout earlier this year after Xabi Alonso left.

Fulham would be taking a risk with the appointment. The London club believes Arbeloa’s tactical ideas, leadership, and elite footballing background could make him an interesting long-term fit, even though he lacks the Premier League experience of many candidates.