The 35th edition of the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has so far delivered on its promise with breathtaking action and keenly contested matches.
From host Morocco’s opening day win to Cameroon’s frenetic victory against Gabon on Christmas Eve, the tournament has been nothing short of spectacular.
12 games have been played, 29 goals have been scored – but it could have been more if not for the impressive goalkeeping displays of Comoros’ Pandor and Zambia’s Mwanza to deny Morocco and Mali, respectively, from the spot.
2021 champions Senegal threatened to end the game against Botswana with a cricket score line but for the outstanding Goitseone Phoko, who made 14 saves to keep the score line respectable in the end.
Tempers have flared, cards have been brandished in effect, with Sudan and Equatorial Guinea the only two sides to have players sent off thus far.
VAR controversy has been in full swing, not least when Chancel Mbemba handled the ball in his own box in Dr. Congo v Benin, only for the referee to head to the touchline to find out the monitors were not functioning at the time of review.
Such has been the excitement the 2025 Afcon has been encapsulated in.
3Sports takes a look at five talking points from the opening round of games.
Big boys lay down early marker
The pre-tournament favourites showed up and showed out. They turned on the style and left nothing to chance.
Strong performances from Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria is definitely a foreboding of what is to come for the other teams.
2013 champions Nigeria edged Tanzania, so did defending champions Ivory Coast and record Afcon winners Egypt do against Mozambique and Zimbabwe respectively.
Some fans and pundits do not like reading meanings into opening games. What matters is getting the three points on board and kicking on from there. The job, so far, has been done by the big guns.
Although Senegal looked the most convincing amongst all the favourites, it is Morocco who are tipped to go all the way to win a first Afcon title since 1976.
Dark horses show fighting spirit
The outside favourites made their presence felt.
South Africa, led by 2017 Afcon-winning head coach Hugo Broos, are no pushovers. Angola found out the hard way after Bafana Bafana picked up three points against the 2010 hosts in a 2-1 win.
The 1996 champions will have to maintain similar levels if they want to go a notch higher than their semi-finals finish last time out.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Desabre’s Dr. Congo side are looking sharp and bright.
‘Fortunate,’ that is what Dr. Congo were against Benin but they look like a well drilled side, who can give any team a run for their money in the competition.
You need the footballing gods to be in your favour sometimes and that is what happened when, rather surprisingly, the monitors seized to operate after Mbemba had handled the ball in his own area against Benin.
Or, perhaps, it might have been the divine protection Noah Sadiki spoke about when pointing to his Bible in a post match interview as the source of his injury-free career – that helped Dr. Congo finish the game unscathed.
After seeing out the first game of the tournament, Desabre and his boys will look to settle down and hit their stride.
Elsewhere, Edmond Tapsoba apologized to fans back home in Burkina Faso in a post match interview for almost ruining their Christmas after they left it late against Equatorial Guinea to record a 2-1 win, with two late stoppage time goals on Christmas Eve.
12 years ago, Burkina Faso narrowly lost to Nigeria in the Afcon final and would definitely want to make amends in Morocco.
Jackson dances his way to top of golden boot race
Like a smooth criminal, Jackson kept on finding pocket of spaces against Botswana to apply the finishing touches.
The way Senegal play – creating ton of chances, having willing runners in-behind, and looking to break the opposition’s high-line – Jackson could have had a couple more against Botswana.
However, the Bayern Munich forward, who is on loan from Chelsea, will be watching over his shoulder to try and hold off Tunisia’s Elias Achouri and 2019 Afcon winner Riyad Mahrez, who have two goals apiece.
Early days yet but the golden boot race is one to keep an eye on after Salah netted a last-gasp winner for Egypt and Lookman shimmied until he found the net against Tanzania for the Super Eagles.
Victor Osimhen, odds-on-favourite to finish as top scorer, is yet to find the net, so is Senegal’s talisman, Sadio Mane.
Big Boys deliver
Manchester United and Cameroon’s Mbuemo was the last amongst the big name forwards to make his mark at the 2025 Afcon, setting up Cameroon’s only goal against Gabon on Wednesday.
His involvement came minutes after his club teammate Amad Diallo had handed Ivory Coast the perfect start to their title defence in a 1-0 win over Mozambique.
Former Manchester City winger Mahrez was also right on cue to hit a brace for Algeria, with his first goal the fastest of the tournament so far.
The Manchester lads maybe smiling but all the headlines in the build up to the tournament was on Merseyside, where out-of-favour Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah scored a late winner for Egypt against Zimbabwe to send out a statement, while Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored the first goal of the competition in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Comoros.
2024 African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, was also on the scoresheet for Nigeria.
Some stellar names are yet to find their mojo but so far things are shaping up perfectly.
Attendance befitting of wonderful spectacle
The opening ceremony with the host nation will undeniably attract a huge number of spectators, but since then it hasn’t been a hard-watch as first feared.
According to the attendance from match venues, supporters have rallied their respective nations to victory.
As provided below;
Morocco v Comoros – 60,180
Egypt v Zimbabwe – 28,199
Mali v Zambia – 10,124
South Africa v Angola – 4013
DR Congo v Benin – 13,073
Senegal v Botswana – 18,591
Nigeria v Tanzania – 11,444
Tunisia v Uganda – 13,387
Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea – 10,267
Algeria v Sudan – 16,115
Ivory Coast v Mozambique – 13,041
Cameroon v Gabon – 35,200
The stadiums haven’t been packed to the rafters but the interest, per the data provided by the attendance, mirrors the growing impact of African football as a staple product among international competitions.
The second round begins on December 26, with Angola facing Zimbabwe as the excitement is expected to continue.
