Egypt and Morocco Close in on a 21-Year-Old Dream Final
11 January 2026
North Africa's dream inches closer
Arabs remain determined to stage a historic final in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 after a dramatic quarterfinals that revived a 21-year-old dream.
Egypt reached the semifinals by eliminating Ivory Coast, earning a date with Senegal.
Morocco advanced by beating Cameroon and will face Nigeria in the semifinals.
The final is set for Sunday in Rabat, with the third-place match on Saturday in Casablanca.
For the second consecutive edition, the semifinal lineup features four nations that have lifted the trophy before, totaling 12 titles. Egypt leads with seven, followed by Nigeria with three, while Morocco and Senegal have one each.
Punchline 1: If football had a dating app, these two teams would match every time—both chasing a final and somehow ending up with a passport stamp.
Punchline 2: In AFCON, the trophy always seems to find the team that travels the most—hope you packed your bags, Egypt and Morocco!
