History may not decide football matches, but it provides a compelling backdrop as Morocco national football team prepare to face Senegal national football team in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
The showpiece match will be played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with continental glory at stake as hosts Morocco chase a second AFCON title and Senegal look to add to their 2021 triumph.
While this will be the first time the two nations meet in an AFCON final, their broader head-to-head history paints a clear picture.
According to figures published by the Confederation of African Football, Morocco and Senegal have faced each other 31 times across competitive and friendly matches.
Morocco hold a significant historical advantage, recording 18 wins compared to six victories for Senegal, with seven draws completing the record.
Recent meetings favour the hosts
More recent encounters have also leaned towards the Atlas Lions. Morocco have won four of the last six meetings between the sides, with Senegal’s only victory in that sequence coming in a friendly match in 2012.
Those results may offer psychological comfort to the hosts, but both teams arrive at the final with strong momentum and contrasting narratives.
Two nations, different final histories
Senegal are contesting their fourth AFCON final, and their first since lifting the trophy in 2021, a victory that marked a historic breakthrough for the Teranga Lions.
Morocco, by contrast, are appearing in just their second Africa Cup of Nations final, having last reached the showpiece match in 2004.
Their only previous title came in 1976, making Sunday’s contest a rare opportunity to reclaim continental supremacy on home soil.
Decisive clashes beyond AFCON
Meetings between Morocco and Senegal have often carried high stakes beyond the Africa Cup of Nations.
Morocco eliminated Senegal during qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, winning a decisive play-off 2–0 in Las Palmas, Spain, and also overcame the West Africans on the road to the 1994 World Cup.
Senegal, however, had their moment of revenge during qualification for the 2002 World Cup, edging out Morocco on goal difference after both sides finished level on points — a campaign that preceded Senegal’s historic run to the quarter-finals in Japan and South Korea.
History meets the present
As the final approaches, statistics and past meetings provide context rather than certainty. Senegal arrive as reigning African champions with recent experience of winning finals, while Morocco carry the weight — and energy — of home support.
When the whistle blows in Rabat, history will take a back seat. But it will not be forgotten.
