AFCON 2025: Morocco building a fearless golden generation

Morocco enters the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil backed by a deep, sparkling pool of talent stretching from the under-17s all the way to the senior team.

The Atlas Lions lead Group A with Comoros, Mali, and Zambia, buoyed by a remarkable rise that has reshaped Moroccan football in recent years.

Morocco is also highly tipped to win the AFCON 2025 on home soil.

That rise includes a historic World Cup 2022 semifinal, three African Nations Championship titles (2018, 2020, 2024) and Olympic bronze at Paris 2024. Youth success has been just as striking, with trophies at under-23 level in 2023, a 2025 U20 World Cup win in Chile and the 2025 U17 AFCON title.

A key pillar is the smart use of FIFA’s 2021 eligibility changes, allowing players with limited senior caps to switch allegiance. Seven current squad members once played for European youth or senior teams, including Brahim Diaz, Achraf Hakimi, Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat, Amine Adli, Chadi Riad and Anass Salah-Eddine, all choosing Morocco over Spain, Holland, or France.

Alongside them stands the Mohamed VI Academy, which has produced around 25 notable players, about 20 of them in European clubs and at least 10 in major leagues.

Stars such as Nayef Aguerd, Youssef En-Nesyri, Azzedine Ounahi, and the emerging Yasser Zbeiri embody a system that now genuinely scares the rest of Africa.