AFCON 2025 kicks off - and for the first time at Christmas

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RB Leipzig

·21 December 2025

AFCON 2025 kicks off - and for the first time at Christmas

While the Bundesliga takes a near three-week winter break, the Africa Cup of Nations takes place over Christmas and New Year in Morocco.

High-class football is therefore set to entertain, with Yan Diomande (Côte d'Ivoire) und Amadou Haidara (Mali) involved in the action.

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Where and when?

Morocco will host the 35th edition of the AFCON, to be contested between 21st December 2025 and 18th January 2026. The tournament will be held in the football-mad North African country for the second time.

For the first time ever, AFCON fixtures will be played either side of Christmas. Our attacking starlet Yan Diomande will also be part of the action, with the opening group game for Côte d'Ivoire scheduled for 24th December, when they take on Mozambique at 18:30 CET.

Yan will also feature on New Year's Eve in the Ivorians' final group stage clash with Gabon (31/12, 20:00 CET).

Who are the favourites?

Côte d'Ivoire head into the tournament as holders. Germany's World Cup opponents possess an additional Bundesliga forward alongside Yan in Hoffenheim's Bazoumana Toure.

Host nation Morocco with PSG star Achraf Hakimi, Mohamed Salah's Egypt, and Nigeria, with our former striker Ademola Lookman in their squad, form the strongest competition for the Ivorians.

All in all, AFCON throws up big surprises time and again. The eight previous tournaments have produced seven different winners.

The tournament's biggest names

Yan can certainly not go without mentioning following his 11 goal contributions (seven goals, four assists) in 16 competitive fixtures this season. Alongside the aforementioned Salah, Lookman and Hakimi, a number of other big name players are set for action at the tournament, including:

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria / Galatasaray)
Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon / Manchester United)
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon / Brighton & Hove Albion)
Omar Marmoush (Egypt / Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Senegal / Al-Nassr)
Nicolas Jackson (Senegal / Bayern München)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria / Al-Ahli)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon / Olympique Marseille)
Brahim Diaz (Morocco / Real Madrid)

Which Bundesliga players could feature?

Bayer Leverkusen: Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Ibrahim Maza (Algeria), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco) and Christian Kofane (Cameroon)
FC Augsburg: Samuel Esende (DR Congo), Elias Saad and Ismael Gharbi (both Tunisia)
Eintracht Frankfurt: Ellyes Skhiri (Tunisia) and Fares Chaibi (Algeria)
VfB Stuttgart: Bilal El Khannouss (Morocco)
TSG Hoffenheim: Bazoumana Toure (Côte d'Ivoire)
SC Freiburg: Cyriaque Irie (Burkina Faso)
VfL Wolfsburg: Mohammed Amoura (Algeria)
FC Bayern: Nicolas Jackson (Senegal)
Borussia Dortmund: Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria)

Why is the tournament being played over Christmas?

Usually, the AFCON takes place in January; however, due to an increasingly demanding schedule of international football, the tournament has been moved forward this time around, with the opening match between Morocco and Comoros being played on December 21st.

Which countries have qualified?

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire (holders), DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Mali, Morocco (hosts), Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Where is the final taking place?

Both the opening match and the final of the 35th AFCON will be played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. The final is scheduled for 18th January at 20:00 CET.