Egypt midfielder Emam Ashour has praised the overall quality of football on display at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, insisting that the era of so-called weak teams in African football is over.
Speaking in an interview with CAFOnline, the Al Ahly star highlighted the steady rise in technical standards across the continent, attributing the increased competitiveness to the growing presence of professional players and experienced coaches within African national teams.
Ashour noted that this progress has made every match at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 highly demanding and entertaining, leaving no room for complacency at any point in the tournament.
“All teams are performing at a high level, and there are no longer any weak sides. The group-stage results clearly show that. Football in Africa is developing for the better, and it is only natural for big teams like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia to reach the Round of 16, as they have top coaches and top players,” he argued.
The midfielder is now focused on helping Egypt to overcome Benin in their Round of 16 tie scheduled for Monday, January 5.
