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Morocco and Senegal meet in the final of the heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, with the hosts hoping a partisan crowd can help them claim a first continental title in half a century.
Walid Regragui’s Morocco was the favorite entering the competition. They were the first ever African side to reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and established themselves as the continent’s leading team in the FIFA rankings.
They are unbeaten in two years since going from the last AFCON in Ivory Coast to South Africa in the last 16, and are captained by the current African Footballer of the Year, Achraf Hakimi.
However, all that means that since the inception of this tournament, the first to be held in the country since 1988, and the first ever AFCON that starts in one year and ends in another, there has been enormous pressure on Morocco to deliver results.
Morocco has played all its matches at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat, where it was booed by its own supporters during the group stage but has won over its demanding fans as the tournament has progressed.
After an impressive victory over Cameroon in the quarter-finals and a nail-biting penalty shootout triumph against Nigeria in Wednesday’s semi-final, almost 70,000 Moroccan fans will fill the stadium hoping to see their team lift the trophy.
READ ALSO: Senegal criticizes lack of ‘fair play’ ahead of Africa Cup of Nations final against hosts Morocco
The host could not have asked for a stronger opponent than Senegal, who are Africa’s second-best team in the rankings and are in their third final in four editions of AFCON.
After losing to Algeria in Cairo in 2019, the Lions of Teranga won the title for the first time in Yaounde in 2022 when they defeated Egypt on penalties.
They were knocked out in the last 16 by Ivory Coast in 2024, but recovered to qualify for the World Cup, reaching the final here with a Sadio Mane strike to beat Egypt in the last four.
It is a hugely experienced Senegalese team, and an aging one too: Mane, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, captain Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye are all between 33 and 36 years old.
Former Liverpool star Mane said after the match in Egypt that the final would be his last Cup of Nations match.
Center back Koulibaly will miss the match due to suspension, a major blow for Senegal in a final between two excellent defenses. They scored three goals together during the tournament.
When and where does the AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco start?
The AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco starts on Sunday, January 18 at 8:00 PM local time (12:30 PM IST, January 19) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Where can you watch the AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco in India?
The AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco will be streamed live on Fancode app and website in India.
Where can you watch the AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco in Africa, UK, US and Asia?
Algeria – EPTV
Angola – Public television of Angola
Belgium – Tipik, La Une
Benin – Benin TV
Bulgaria – Max Sport
Burkina Faso – RTB TV
Cameroon – CRTV Sports
Canada – beIN Sports
Colombia – Win sports
Croatia – SportKlub
Equatorial Guinea – TVGE
France – beIN Sports France
Germany – Sportdigital
Greece – Hellenic broadcaster
Iran – Persiana Sport
India – Fan Code
Ireland (Republic of Ireland) – Channel 4
Italy – Sportitalia, football only
Ivory Coast – RTI, Canal+ Africa
Mali – ORTM
Morocco – SNRT
Netherlands – Ziggo Sport
Niger – Tele Sahel
Nigeria – BON, NTA
Portugal – Sports TV
South Africa – SABC Sport
Spain – Movistar
Tanzania – Azam Sports
Turkey – Exxen
Uganda – NBC Sports
United Kingdom – Channel 4
United States – beIN Sports
Zambia – ZNBC
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – beIN Sports
Sub-Saharan Africa – SuperSport
Published on January 18, 2026

