Scheduled to take place in Morocco, the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) will kick off in exactly one year. This flagship competition of African Football, postponed to the period from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, was postponed due to the Club World Cup scheduled for the same initial dates.
Following its recent coronation, Côte d'Ivoire will put its title acquired ten months and ten days ago back into play. For Morocco, which won the title in 1976, it is a question of hosting the final phase for the second time, after the 1988 edition. The draw for the groups will take place on January 27, 2025 in Rabat, capital of the host country.
Twenty-four teams qualified for the competition, including Algeria, Cameroon, Senegal, and of course the host country, Morocco. Senegal will thus participate in its 18th CAN, with Mali as its immediate neighbor, unlike the 2023 edition which was held in Ivory Coast.
In this edition, Ghana, with 24 participations and four-time winners, will be conspicuous by its absence after finishing last in its qualifying group, totaling only three points with three draws and three defeats.
According to the Confederation of African Football, this Moroccan edition could surpass all the records established during the previous edition in Ivory Coast. The CAN remains the most followed sporting event in Africa, bringing together a television audience exceeding 1.5 billion viewers and 2.4 billion digital streams.
Before that, Morocco will host other football competitions such as the Under-17 CAN in March 2025 and the Women's CAN in July of the same year. In addition, the Shereef kingdom is preparing to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal, APS reported.
