The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has reached a decisive phase, with the tournament now down to its final four contenders in what promises to be a thrilling battle for continental glory.
After an emotionally charged quarter-final stage filled with drama and high-level competition, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and Nigeria remain in contention as they fight for the two coveted places in the final of this prestigious championship.
Senegal will take on Egypt in the first semi-final, scheduled for Wednesday evening at 17:00GMT at the Grand Stadium in Tangier, in a clash rich with history and rivalry. The meeting carries echoes of the 2022 final in Cameroon, where Senegal edged past Egypt on penalties to lift their maiden AFCON title, denying the Pharaohs yet another crown despite their record seven triumphs in the competition.
The Lions of Teranga booked their semi-final spot by grinding out a narrow but vital victory over Mali, becoming the first team to reach the last four. Egypt, meanwhile, secured their place after a pulsating 3-2 win over defending champions Ivory Coast, a result that ended the Elephants’ hopes of retaining the title and underlined the Pharaohs’ resilience on the big stage.
Later on the same day, attention will shift to Rabat, where hosts Morocco face Nigeria at 20:00GMT at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The Atlas Lions arrive full of confidence after eliminating Cameroon in the quarter-finals and will be eager to maintain their impressive momentum in front of passionate home support. Nigeria, however, present a formidable challenge after comfortably seeing off Algeria with a 2-0 victory to reach the semi-finals.
As tournament hosts, Morocco are chasing a historic triumph on home soil, but their path to the title requires overcoming a Nigerian side with a proud AFCON pedigree, having lifted the trophy on three occasions. The two nations last crossed paths at the AFCON finals in 2004 in Tunisia, a match Morocco won thanks to a solitary strike from Youssef Hadji, with current head coach Walid Regragui among the players on the pitch under then-coach Badou Zaki.
As with earlier rounds of AFCON Morocco 2025, the semi-final stage brings together heavyweight nations, decorated players and experienced coaches, adding extra prestige to the golden square of this 35th edition.
