Hosts Morocco will face Senegal in the 2025/26 Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday evening (19:00 GMT).
The match will be held at the newly completed Prince Moulay Abdullah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco’s brand new 69,500-capacity stadium.
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This provides the hosts with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lift the continental title in front of a home crowd for the first time since 1976.
route to finals
Morocco beat Tanzania in the last 16, with Achraf Hakimi making his first full appearance since injury and assisting Brahim Diaz for the game’s only goal.
Walid Regraj’s side beat Cameroon in the quarter-finals with a composed performance in Rabat. Goals in each half from Diaz and Ismael Sabari gave the team a comfortable victory in front of a packed home crowd.
Morocco drew 0-0 with Nigeria to advance to the final, with the hosts advancing via penalty kicks. Morocco held Nigeria to a dismal two goals in the match and they will hope to repeat that against Senegal.
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However, Senegal defeated their semi-final opponents Egypt in 90 minutes. They scored an impressive 12 goals en route to the finals and had a +10 goal difference.
Senegal defeated Sudan 3-1 in the round of 16 and entered the knockout stage.
In the quarter-finals, they narrowly defeated Mali 1-0. Iliman Ndiaye scored the winner before Mali captain Yves Bissouma was sent off on the stroke of half-time, allowing Senegal to close out the game.
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Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Dias has been Morocco’s talisman, with his performances taking him to the highest levels of European football. Diaz enjoyed a historic campaign, becoming the first Moroccan player to score in five consecutive Africa Cup of Nations matches while also leading the competition in goals.
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Morocco fans will be hoping forward Ayoub El Kaabi can rediscover his scoring touch. He scored three goals in the group stage but has yet to score in the knockout rounds.
Achraf Hakimi ended a long injury spell against Zambia in the final group stages. He is looking increasingly sharp, showing off his talent as one of the top right-backs in world football. A potential showdown with Moroccan right winger Sadio Mane should be a crucial game.
Senegal looked dangerous in front of goal. Reassuringly, their attacking output is evenly spread across the squad, with four different players emerging as the team’s joint top scorer with two goals each – Pap Guy, Nicholas Jackson, Sharif N’diaye and captain Mane. Mane, a two-time African Footballer of the Year, also added three assists to complement his goal tally.
Crucially, Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly will miss the final, the second time in his career that he will miss the Africa Cup of Nations final. His absence, along with that of midfielder Habib Diarra, is a blow to their glory hopes.
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While Mamadou Sarr and Lamine Kamara impressed after coming on in the semifinals, the loss of two high-level starters left Senegal weakened when it mattered most.
Who will stand out?
As one of the most competitive and high-scoring Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in history draws to a close, Sunday’s final represents more than just a battle for continental supremacy. It showcases the rise of African football on the global stage to compete with established super teams in Europe and South America.
Morocco will hope to use this opportunity to score a historic victory in front of their home fans. Senegal, meanwhile, will be looking to assert their authority as Africa’s modern standard-bearers by claiming a second title in three editions of Africa’s most prestigious trophy.
Everything will be decided on Sunday night.
How to watch
The match will be shown live on E4 and the Channel 4 app in the UK.
