The 2025 AFCON final will crown a new champion when Senegal take on host nation Morocco on Sunday. It will be the first time both sides have met in an AFCON event, although they have crossed paths 32 times in other competitions, with Morocco having the upper hand with 18 wins, Senegal with six, and seven of those games ending all square.
Both teams booked their place in the final through hard-fought semi-final encounters. Senegal edged past Egypt thanks to a solitary goal from Sadio Mane, sealing victory against Mohamed Salah’s Pharaohs in a tense affair. Morocco, meanwhile, needed penalties to overcome Nigeria after a goalless 120 minutes, eventually winning 4–2 in the shootout.
For Morocco, this marks just their second AFCON final appearance in nearly 50 years, the first coming in 1976. They also become the 15th host nation to reach the final, and history will be on their side as the last three hosts to make the final have gone on to lift the trophy: Tunisia in 2004, Egypt in 2006, and Côte d’Ivoire in 2023.
Senegal head into Sunday as underdogs but with experience on their side. This will be their fourth AFCON final, with their most recent appearance coming in 2021, as they look to once again write their name into African football history.
Can Walid Regragui Lead Morocco to Glory in the AFCON Final?
Since taking over as Morocco’s head coach in 2022, just months before the World Cup, Walid Regragui has overseen a period of unprecedented success for the national team. As they head into the AFCON final, optimism is high that he can guide the Atlas Lions to their second continental title.
Under his leadership, Morocco made history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, knocking out global heavyweights such as Spain, Portugal, and Belgium along the way.
He has also established a national record for the most consecutive international wins, with a streak of 19 matches and counting.
At this AFCON, he has built Morocco into a formidable defensive unit, with his side conceding just one goal in six matches on their march to the final. In 2022, Regragui was nominated for the IFFHS World’s Best National Coach award and was crowned CAF Coach of the Year in 2023.
One figure who has had a huge impact in guiding Morocco to the AFCON final is Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, who tops the goalscoring chart with five goals. Alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi on the right wing, they have combined pace, creativity, and precision to terrorise opposition defences, making Morocco one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the tournament.
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More Than Underdogs: How Senegal Can Derail Morocco’s Home Dream
If any team was capable of halting Morocco’s charge to the AFCON final, it was always likely to be Nigeria or Senegal. With Nigeria now out of the equation, Senegal remains well placed to spring an upset in the final.
Boasting European experience and quality across every area of the pitch, the Teranga Lions have also demonstrated resilience and composure throughout this 2025 tournament.
Both sides arrive at the final with near-identical records, each registering five wins and one draw from six matches. The only difference is in defence, with Morocco conceding just once compared to Senegal’s two goals conceded.
In attack, the Senegalese have scored 12 goals – the most they have netted at a single edition and victory would not only see them win six games at a single AFCON edition for the first time, it would also mean that they become the first side to win four successive knockout games at the competition.
Beating Morocco at home is tough, but doing it without their talismanic defender in Kalidou Koulibaly will be more difficult as the Al Hilal centre back is suspended after picking up a yellow card in the semifinals. The former Chelsea defender will miss the AFCON final through suspension for the second time, having also missed the 2019 final.
The odds are stacked against Sadio Mané and his teammates, but their experience, and proven ability to rise on the biggest stage suggests they are more than capable of defying expectations in the AFCON final.
And Then There Were Two
For too long, African football has been underestimated and labelled rigid with no technicalities, but the 2025 AFCON edition is set to open the eyes of Europe and the rest of the world, demanding the respect the continent’s game has long deserved.
Senegal vs Morocco AFCON final promises to be an enthralling encounter between two sides blessed with quality, experience and ambition. Senegal, aiming to defy the odds, will be looking to spoil Morocco’s hopes of seeking glory on home soil.
In a match this tightly poised, small margins could decide the outcome – a single moment of brilliance from Brahim Diaz or Everton’s Ilimane Ndiaye could tip the scales. Whatever the result, the final is set to be a showcase of African football at its finest, and one that will be remembered for years to come.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Shengolpixs
Recording Date: 14.01.2026
