AFCON 2025 Kickoff: Attack Roars as Stars Shine in the Opening Round
25 December 2025
Opening offensive surge marks AFCON 2025 first round
In the opening stage of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, football fans were treated to an unusually high-paced start, with goals lighting up the scoreboard.
High-scoring start and standout scorers
Twelve matches produced 29 goals (an average of 2.4 per game), and only Mali v Zambia finished level at 1-1. Algeria, Senegal and Tunisia each struck three times, signaling a fierce title chase as the tournament unfolds.
Ilyas Al-Ashouri (Tunisia), Nicolas Jackson (Senegal) and Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) emerged as the leading scorers after the first round, each with two goals.
Defensive resilience amid the fireworks
Despite the attacking mood, six teams kept clean sheets. Morocco beat Comoros 2-0, while Algeria and Senegal closed with 3-0 wins over Sudan and Botswana. DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Cameroon also collected three points with 1-0 victories.
And a note to fans: offense wins games, defense wins titles—so far, the defensive line is clearly ready for the main event.
Punchlines: If defending were a crime, these teams would be serving life sentences. AFCON 2025 proves the scoreboard is louder than the crowd—and my jokes are still trying to find the net.
