A photo of the AFCON trophy
As the group stage of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2025 enters its decisive phase, eight countries will face off in the remaining four fixtures of Matchday 2 on Sunday (today).
With powerhouses such as Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon in action, the matches are expected to deliver high-stakes encounters across Morocco’s stadiums.
The tournament, scheduled to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, has already produced dramatic moments, with Nigeria securing a place in the Round of 16 following a 3–2 victory over Tunisia on Saturday.
As of Saturday, Groups A through D concluded their second-round matches, while Groups E and F are set for potentially group-defining encounters today.
Recap of Saturday’s action
Saturday’s matches in Groups C and D produced closely contested encounters.
In Group C, Nigeria edged Tunisia in a five-goal thriller, with Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman scoring for the Super Eagles, while Montassar Talbi and Hamza Al Abdi replied for the Carthaginians.
Earlier, Uganda and Tanzania played out a 1–1 draw. In Group D, Senegal held DR Congo to a 1–1 draw, while Benin recorded a 1–0 victory over Botswana.
Focus on Groups E and F today.
Groups E and F head into today’s fixtures with everything to play for following the opening round of matches.
In Group E, Algeria and Burkina Faso both have three points after opening-day victories, setting up a top-of-the-table clash.
Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, both without a point, face a must-win situation to keep their qualification hopes alive.
On Matchday 1, Burkina Faso secured a late 2–1 win over Equatorial Guinea through goals from Ousseni Minoungou and Edmond Tapsoba.
Algeria recorded a 3–0 victory over Sudan, with Riyad Mahrez scoring twice.
In Group F, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are also tied on three points, setting the stage for a high-profile encounter between the two sides. Gabon and Mozambique, both beaten in their opening matches, will contest their first points of the tournament.
Côte d’Ivoire edged Mozambique 1–0 on Matchday 1 through an Amad Diallo goal, while Cameroon defeated Gabon by the same margin, with Etta Eyong scoring early.
Today’s fixtures
1. Gabon vs Mozambique (Group F) – 13:30, Grand Stade d’Agadir.
2. Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan (Group E) – 16:00, Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca.
3. Algeria vs Burkina Faso (Group E) – 18:30, Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, Rabat.
4. Côte d’Ivoire vs Cameroon (Group F) – 20:00, Grand Stade de Marrakech.
With 24 teams competing and the top two teams in each group qualifying automatically, alongside the best third-placed sides, today’s results could seal additional places in the knockout stage.
