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19th December 2025
05:59pm GMT

The start of the Africa Cup of Nations is only a few days away, and this year's biggest tournament in African football feels slightly different, as football fans will have the chance to enjoy the unique competition over the festive period.
AFCON 2025 begins on the last weekend before Christmas and ends on the third week of January, so this scheduling is what feels new and exciting about the tournament.
This year’s host nation, Morocco, is hosting for the first time since 1988, as a result of long-term investments in infrastructure and the upgraded stadiums across the country.
Matches will be played in six cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangier.
Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat is where the grand final will take place, on 18 January.
The tournament that is starting on 21 December will feature 24 teams, in six groups of four.

The qualifying process on to the next round is simple: two teams advance from each group and four best third placed teams also advance for the knockout round.
Things start to get even more exciting once 16 teams advance to the knockout stage, as each match is single elimination, with no return legs.
Morocco is full of belief in the competition, not simply for being the host nation but also considering their recent World Cup success and their squad which has players with European pedigree.
Meanwhile, the pressure might be on Ivory Coast who are the current title holders and defending the AFCON title is a rare occurrence.
While football fans will enjoy the unique fixtures during the holiday season, Premier League teams will have many absentees in their squads as a result of the players that have been called up by their national teams.
Prem sides will have their squad depths tested in their December and January fixtures, with some teams missing more players than others.
Brits will be glad to hear that they can watch any game they please, as the competition will be free to air in the UK, with Channel 4 broadcasting AFCON 2025 live.
Arguably, this year’s competition reaches wider audiences in large part due to its exposure during the Christmas and New Year period.
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