AFCON 2025 - Africa Cup of Nations Schedule

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Mascot and AFCON 2025 official song
AFCON 2025 – The key dates
Teams and players to watch at AFCON 2025
Afcon 2025 schedule and kick off times
Where and how to watch AFCON 2025 matches live

The tournament kicks off on Sunday, 21 December when the hosts take on Comoros at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium at 19:00 GMT.

Forget the Brussels sprouts and the inevitable family argument over the TV remote, this Christmas, the real heat is coming from North Africa. For the first time in history, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 is gatecrashing the festive season.

While the rest of us are nursing mince pie induced comas, 24 nations will be battling it out in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January. It’s a bold move by CAF; replacing the traditional “Queen’s Speech” with a high stakes clash between Morocco and Comoros is certainly one way to ensure we don’t fall asleep before the turkey is served. Originally slated for the summer, the tournament was bumped to the winter to make room for FIFA’s shiny new 32 team Club World Cup. Because apparently, we haven’t reached “peak football” until every single calendar day is occupied by a 4-3-3 formation.

Mascot and AFCON 2025 official song

If you’re looking for a face for the festivities, meet Assad. No, not a stern geopolitical figure, but a lively young lion inspired by the legendary Atlas lion. His name literally means “lion” in Arabic, which is remarkably on the nose, but he’s designed to be friendly, energetic, and a hit with the kids, basically the anti-Scrooge.

As for the tunes, the official anthem is traditionally a sonic melting pot. While we’re all waiting for the “official” drop this week, Moroccan superstar producer RedOne has already set the bar high with “Maghribi Maghribi,” a track dripping with national pride. Expect the final tournament song to be a high tempo blend of Afrobeats and traditional Maghreb rhythms, perfect for drowning out your uncle’s carol singing.

AFCON 2025 – The key dates

Clear your schedules, because the drama starts just as the advent calendar runs out:

Group Stages: 21 – 31 December (The perfect excuse to avoid New Year’s Eve planning)
Last 16: 3 – 6 January
Quarter-finals: 9 – 10 January
Semi-finals: 14 January
Final: 18 January (A Sunday night showdown in Rabat to cure those post-holiday blues)

Teams and players to watch at AFCON 2025

All eyes are on the hosts, Morocco. After their historic 2022 World Cup semi final run, the “Golden Generation” is under immense pressure to win their first title since 1976. Achraf Hakimi is currently in a frantic race against an ankle injury to lead the side, but with Brahim Diaz now in the mix, they aren’t exactly short of star power.

Then there’s Egypt and the eternal enigma that is Mohamed Salah. At 33, this feels like his last “Now or Never” moment. He’s won everything at club level, but the AFCON trophy remains his “One That Got Away” having lost two finals already. Elsewhere, keep a look out for Nigeria, led by the lethal Victor Osimhen, and Senegal, who are bringing their trademark defensive wall to North Africa. Cameroon is also providing plenty of pre-tournament drama, with Samuel Eto’o shaking up the coaching staff just three weeks before kick-off. It wouldn’t be AFCON without a bit of chaos, would it?

Afcon 2025 schedule and kick off times

The opening match between Morocco and Comoros kicks off at 19:00 GMT, with three games the next day.

After that, the group stage, which runs until 31 December, offers fans a Christmas feast of football, with four matches every day.

Those games will be played at 12:30, 15:00, 17:30 and 20:00 (all times GMT), while the final round of group action will kick off at either 16:00 or 19:00.

The knockout stage, which predominantly features games at 16:00 and 19:00, begins on Saturday, 3 January.

The final on Sunday, 18 January will kick off at 19:00.

Where and how to watch AFCON 2025 matches live

For those of us in the UK and Ireland, Channel 4 is the hero of the hour, broadcasting every match live and free to air. Whether you’re watching on the main channel, E4, or streaming via their app, you won’t have to spend a penny of your Christmas bonus to see it.

Where and how to watch AFCON 2025 matches live

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 tournament will be broadcast across the globe in over 30 countries and regions. Below is the broadcast list in each country/region.

Country – Broadcaster