Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan names Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco as 2025 AFCON favourites

Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has tipped Nigeria, Morocco and Ivory Coast as the frontrunners for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

In an interview with CAF media at the 2025 Awards ceremony held on Wednesday at the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Gyan did not hide his disappointment over Ghana’s failure to reach the tournament.

“I think we’ve got a lot of giants who are going there. Ghana is out, which we are very disappointed but it is okay, we have qualified for the World Cup.

“Nigeria did well, they were close the last two years. Ivory Coast did well, so we have a lot of teams… Morocco is also a strong contender who are also doing well.

The former striker highlighted the consistency of Nigeria and Ivory Coast in recent years, while also pointing to Morocco’s strong form as reasons they stand out in the build-up to the tournament.

“I will say these three countries that I have mentioned, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco are favourites,” he added.

The 35th AFCON will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.