The first matchday of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), hosted by Morocco from December 21 to January 18, confirmed the dominance of the tournament’s traditional favorites, with no major upsets recorded, Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP) reported.
Morocco opened the competition, as host nation, with a solid 2–0 win over Comoros at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Goals from Brahim Díaz, who was named man of the match, and Ayoub El Kaabi gave the Atlas Lions a confident start and extended their winning streak to 19 matches under Head Coach Walid Regragui. Morocco will face Mali next, with a place in the round of 16 at stake. Mali drew 1–1 with Zambia after conceding a late equalizer.
Defending champions Senegal also began strongly, beating Botswana 3–0. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, and Chérif Ndiaye added a third goal, placing Senegal at the top of their group. The Lions of Teranga will next play the Democratic Republic of Congo, who narrowly defeated Benin 1–0 in their opening match and are considered serious contenders for the winning title.
Egypt, the tournament’s most successful team with seven titles, secured a 2–1 victory over Zimbabwe in a closely contested match. A late decisive action by Mohamed Salah ensured the win, keeping Egypt in a strong position in their group. Egypt will meet South Africa next, after the Bafana Bafana also made a winning start.
Other favorites also recorded positive results. Tunisia defeated Uganda 3–1, Nigeria overcame Tanzania 2–1 despite some attacking difficulties, and Algeria cruised to a 3–0 victory over Sudan, with veteran star Riyad Mahrez scoring twice.
Overall, the opening round of AFCON 2025 proceeded as expected, with the leading teams delivering solid performances and positioning themselves well for qualification to the knockout stage.
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