Senegal vs Morocco: All you need to know ahead of Afcon final
- Published
On Sunday night, two of Africa's strongest football teams, Senegal and Morocco, will meet to decide the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champion.
Senegal reached their fourth final thanks to a dramatic semi-final win against Mohammed Salah's Egypt team.
The journey of Morocco - who've won once before - has been just as exciting. The host nation needed penalties to get past Nigeria in their semi-final.
Even more exciting, Senegal and Morocco have never played each other at Afcon before, so this final is something completely new.
The match will be played on Sunday at 7pm UK time at the huge Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium - which can hold nearly 70,000 fans - in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco.
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- Published12 December 2025
Senegal have been in four Afcon finals before and last lifted the trophy in 2021.
They were also runners up in 2002 and 2019.
Morocco have only won Afcon once, 50 years ago back in 1976, but they are full of confidence.
They finished an incredible fourth at the 2022 World Cup, the best-ever result for an African team, and are on a record breaking 25-match unbeaten run.
AFCON: Players to look out for in the final
Brahim Díaz celebrates getting to the Afcon final with Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou
There are plenty of high profile stars who will feature during Sunday's final for both teams, including some current and former Premier League players.
Morocco have some stars fans might recognise.
Achraf Hakimi (PSG) is one of the world's best right-backs, while Brahim Díaz of Real Madrid has scored in five games so far, and used to play for Manchester City.
Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United) has also started every match for the hosts.
Former Premier League stars Romain Saïss who used to play for Wolves, and Sofyan Amrabat who also played for Man United, are unlikely to feature as both have injuries.
Senegal knocked out Mo Salah's Egypt in the semi-final
Senegal have the highest number of Premier League players at the tournament, including Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Habib Diarra (Sunderland) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United).
The squad also includes former Chelsea stars Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, as well as Nicolas Jackson, who is currently on loan to Bayern Munich from Chelsea.
And once again, all eyes will be on former Liverpool star Sadio Mané, who's been Senegal's man for the big moments before...
