Arab stars shine on AFCON 2025 opener as Morocco hosts; Salah, Mahrez and Marmoush lead the charge
25 December 2025
The Opening XI of AFCON 2025
In the opening round of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 group stage hosted in Morocco, a parade of Arab stars left an early mark on the continental tournament.
The opening day concluded with matches across groups, and attention now shifts to the next round as top nations press toward the knockout phase.
SofaScore, the performance evaluator, announced the Best XI for the first round, highlighting four Arab players who stood out in the opening contests.
It singled out Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush for Egypt, Riyad Mahrez for Algeria, and Elias Al-Ashouri for Tunisia, underscoring their pivotal roles with decisive contributions for their teams.
Morocco, despite a 2-0 win over Comoros on home soil, did not have a representative in SofaScore’s opening XI, suggesting the hosts’ night-to-night balance didn’t translate into individual awards.
In the Egypt–Zimbabwe clash, Salah and Marmoush supplied the goals in a tight 2-1 victory that underscored their attacking value at a tournament where every scoreline matters.
Mahrez’s double helped Algeria beat Sudan, while Al-Ashouri’s two goals propelled Tunisia past Uganda, leaving both North African sides atop their groups at the close of the first round.
Nicolas Jackson of Senegal also figured in the top day’s performance, scoring twice as his team beat Botswana, with Botswana’s goalkeeper delivering a standout display in a losing effort.
The full Best XI for the opening round, as chosen by SofaScore, included: Goalkeeper: Gwattsioni Foko (Botswana); Defence: Simi Ajayi (Nigeria), Samuel Koto (Cameroon), Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso); Midfield: Idrissa Gaye (Senegal), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Elias Al-Ashouri (Tunisia), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Omar Marmoush (Egypt); Forward: Nicolas Jackson (Senegal).
As the tournament moves into its second round, expectations rise for the Arab contenders to translate early promise into deep runs and perhaps a historic breakthrough.
Punchline 1: If football were a language, Salah would be fluent in two accents—goal-scoring and dramatic assist. Punchline 2: Morocco wins on home soil, but SofaScore still says the best local talent was the coffee break—talk about a bitter-sweet espresso moment.
