An epic AFCON 2025 quarterfinal lineup promises heavyweight clashes and a surprise or two
6 January 2026
Overview
Eight teams remain in AFCON 2025, turning the quarterfinals into a heavyweight sprint across Africa's flagship competition. The last-16 round produced no shocks, advancing on form and merit and keeping the dream of a Morocco 2025 final very much alive.
Powerful pedigree
Opta data show the eight quarterfinalists have a combined 22 continental titles. Egypt leads with seven titles, Cameroon five, Nigeria and Ivory Coast three apiece, Algeria two, while Morocco and Senegal sit with one each. Mali is the sole quarterfinalist yet to win the trophy.
These eight teams—Morocco, Egypt, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Algeria—will contest the last eight. On Friday, Mali vs Senegal and Morocco vs Cameroon kick off. On Saturday, Egypt faces Ivory Coast and Algeria meets Nigeria.
The matches are expected to deliver high-quality football, with history suggesting the favorites will not coast through. The field is rich in legacy, but the beauty of AFCON is that past titles rarely decide future glory.
Punchlines are on order: If this quarterfinals were a sniper’s routine, you’d hear a whisper and the goal would cheer. And yes, the trophy is negotiable only with snacks—bring your own snacks, or risk being out-trolled by a referee’s whistle.
