Africa’s four fearsome football titans face off in semi-finals for a shot at AFCON glory

As AFCON Morocco 2025 unfolds, four of Africa’s top five-ranked teams have reached Wednesday’s semi-finals.

The distinguished teams that have successfully advanced include Egypt (seven-time champions), Nigeria (2013 champions), Senegal (2021 winners), and the hosts, Morocco, the 1976 winners.

Morocco is particularly motivated to secure its first title in 50 years. With such a long wait, the stakes for the host nation are higher than ever, promising an exciting race to the final.

Wednesday’s two blockbuster encounters are:

Senegal vs Egypt

Egypt secured their place with a riveting 3-2 victory over the defending champions, the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, Senegal advanced to the final four with a disciplined 1-0 win over Mali.

Both nations are pinning their hopes on their star players. For Egypt, Mohamed Salah, a player renowned for his speed and skill, is undoubtedly expected to shine brightly. On the other hand, Senegal’s Sadio Mané, who has been instrumental in his team’s journey thus far, is ready to lead the charge.

Egypt is desperate to end a 16-year drought and win the prestigious AFCON trophy. Their golden era saw them clinch the championship three consecutive times, ending in 2010, followed by near misses in 2017 and 2021, when they were runners-up.

In both instances, they lost to the Teranga Lions, underscoring the intense rivalry between the two sides.

Since 2014, the trend has favoured Senegal, which has secured four victories over Egypt in its past five encounters. Egypt secured a notable win during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers, underscoring the competitive nature of this fixture. The narrative is laced with suspense and anticipation as both teams prepare to face each other.

This semi-final marks Egypt’s third appearance in the last five tournament editions. At the same time, Senegal, having demonstrated exceptional consistency, is in its third semi-final in the past four AFCON editions.

Morocco vs Nigeria

Morocco defeated Cameroon 2-0, solidifying its momentum in the tournament by reaching the semi-finals.

Nigeria complemented the semi-final line-up with a decisive 2-0 victory over Algeria.

These are the two most in-form teams at AFCON. They have taken teams apart with relative ease, but this promises to be the toughest test either has faced so far.

Morocco will once again rely on the 68,000 people inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to carry them through, as they have done throughout the tournament. At the same time, Nigeria will firmly rely on their fearsome attack to deliver a final spot.

The Super Eagles enter the game as the team to beat, boasting an unblemished record of five wins from five matches. Their star forwards, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, are their dangermen.

Nigeria are aiming for their ninth AFCON final overall, and only its second consecutive appearance in the final in the nation’s history.

Morocco has relied heavily on Brahim Diaz for goals. The Real Madrid forward has scored in five consecutive matches, with his five goals accounting for more than half of the Atlas Lions’ tournament total of nine.

Where Morocco has truly excelled, however, is in defence. Conceding just one goal, they boast the competition’s best defensive record.

This semi-final marks Morocco’s first appearance at this stage in 22 years. They will now aim to reach the final for only the third time in their history, after winning the tournament in 1976 and finishing runners-up to Tunisia in 2004.