Senegal and Morocco will face off on Sunday, January 18, at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. After displaying a high level throughout the tournament, both sides are aiming to make history in what has already become a heated matchup even before kickoff.
Senegal reached the final after star forward Sadio Mané scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, a match in which Senegal were the dominant side. With five wins and one draw, they enter the final as the tournament’s most successful team by results, and Les Lions de la Teranga will be looking to defend the AFCON title they won in the 2021 edition.
Morocco, meanwhile, advanced after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Nigeria in the semifinals following a 0-0 draw through regulation and extra time. Captained by Achraf Hakimi, the Atlas Lions have conceded just one goal all tournament, making them the competition’s best defensive side. Against Senegal, they will look to end a 50-year title drought, with their only AFCON triumph coming in 1976 in Ethiopia.
The head-to-head history favors Morocco, which holds 18 wins compared to Senegal’s six, with seven draws between the sides. However, this will be the first time the two nations meet in an Africa Cup of Nations match, and doing so in the final makes it even more significant, a scenario not seen since South Africa faced Tunisia in the 1996 final.
Achraf Hakimi of Morocco (L) and Sadio Mane (R) of Senegal.
A final filled with controversy before kickoff
Controversy emerged even before the final began, involving the host nation and Senegal, which filed a formal complaint against Morocco. “The FSF denounces the clear absence of adequate security measures upon the arrival of our national team at the Rabat train station,” the Senegalese Football Federation said in a statement.
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Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw also addressed the situation, saying: “What happened yesterday is abnormal. A team like Senegal cannot simply arrive and find itself in the middle of such a crowd. The players were in danger. Anything could have happened, facing people with bad intentions.” The Senegalese federation also filed a complaint with the Confederation of African Football, arguing that the number of tickets allocated to their supporters for the final was insufficient.
Confirmed lineups for Senegal and Morocco
Senegal’s confirmed lineups (4-3-3): Édouard Mendy; Krépin Diatta, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhaté, El Hadji Diouf; Lamine Camara, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye; Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mané.
Head coach: Pape Thiaw
Morocco’s confirmed lineups (4-3-3): Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Adam Masina, Noussair Mazraoui; Ez Abde, Neil El Aynaoui, Ismael Saibari; Bilal El Khanouss, Ayoub El Kaabi, Brahim Díaz.
Head coach: Walid Regragui.
