When Afcon 2025 go start? - All you need to know

Best footballers for di continent dey prepare to descend on Morocco for di 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as dem dey play di finals over Christmas and New Year season for di first time.

Di tournament go kick off on Sunday, 21 December wen di host go play Comoros for Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium for 19:00 GMT.

Di pressure dey on Atlas Lions wey be di highest ranked African team for di world but dem neva win Afcon since 1976.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Salah wey neva collect im first Afcon title go dey hope to captain Egypt to win record-extending continental crown afta dem finish as runner up for 2007 and 2021 editions.

But who im go face for group stage? Wetin be di format of di tournament? Wia dem go play di matches and dem go kick off?

BBC Sports Africa dey provide you all di informate ahead of di 35th edition of Africa's biggest sporting event.

What are the Afcon 2025 groups?

Dem don split di 24 teams into six groups of four, wit di host for Group A wit Mali, 2012 winners Zambia and Comoros.

Group F contain heavyweight match-up wit holders Ivory Coast wit Five time champions Cameroon.

Senegal dey against DR Congo for Group D.

For Group B Egypt go face 1996 winners South Africa while for Group C Uganda and Tanzania go face Nigeria and Tunisia.

Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros.

Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe.

Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania.

Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana.

Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan.

Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique.

Di top two for each group plus four best ranked third places teams go advance to di round of 16. Quarter-finals, semifinals, third place match and finals go follow.

Afcon 2025 schedule and kick-off times

Di opening match between Morocco and Comoros go kick off by 19:00 GMT, wit three games di next day.

After dat, di group stage, wey go run until 31 December, go give fans Christmas feast of football, wit four matches evriday day.

Dem go play di games by 12:30, 15:00, 17:30 and 20:00 (all times GMT), while di final round of group action go kick off around 16:00 or 19:00.

Di knockout stage, go predominantly feature games from 16:00 and 19:00, e go begin on Saturday, 3 January.

Di finals on Sunday, 18 January go kick off around 19:00.

Afcon 2025 venues: Wia dem dey play am?

Morocco don pump plenty money to use renovate stadiums to host Afcon 2025 as dem dey also prepare to co-host di 2030 Fifa World Cup wit Spain and Portugal.

Dem go use nine stadiums for six host cities, wit four venues for di capital Rabat.

When are players being released for Afcon?

As dem dey play di Afcon for middle of Europe football season, small kasala bin don dey pop up unto wen clubs suppose release players to dia national teams.

World football governing body Fifa announce say make clubs release players by Monday 15 December - dis na seven days later dan di usual timing before major tournaments.

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet say di ruling dey catastrophic for preparations.

"Evribodi for Europe feel say African football no dey important," na so tok. "E show say e lack respect and I dey angry."

Some clubs fit attempt to come to ad-hoc arrangements wit federations so dem fit keep di players longer.

For example, Manchester United go play Bournemouth for Premier League on 15 December and fit try to hold on to dia Afcon bound contingent of forward of Bryan Mbuemo (Cameroon), winger Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and defender Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) for anoda 24 hours.

Who are the Afcon favourites?

Di hosts be di overwhelming favourites.

Morocco dey on winning run of 18 consecutive victories - world record in international football wey stretch back to March 2024.

Dat 20-month streak don see di Atlas Lions score 50 goals and concede only four.

Senegal, champions for Afcon 2021,don dey play impressive football dis year under Pape Thiaw, and although di Teranga Lions loose to Brazil last month, dem immediately bounce back to beat Kenya 8-0.

Algeria, Egypt and holders Ivory Coast also go unbeaten for World Cup qualifying and di former two nations fit back demselves for North African conditions.

Meanwhile, DR Congo dey come wit heavy hype into di tournament afta dem beat Cameroon and Nigeria for di Africa 2026 World Cup play-off.

But, wit seven different winners for di past eight editions, di tournament dey likely to bring plenty surprises.

Africa Cup of Nations 2025 fixtures

All times GMT

Sunday, 21 December

Group A: Morocco vs Comoros, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Monday, 22 December

Group A: Mali vs Zambia, Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca (14:00)

Group B: South Africa vs Angola, Grande Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech (17:00)

Group B: Egypt vs Zimbabwe, Grande Stade d'Agadir, Agadir (20:00)

Tuesday, 23 December

Group D: Senegal vs Botswana, Grande Stade de Tangier, Tangier (12:30)

Group D: DR Congo vs Benin, Stade El Barid, Rabat (15:00)

Group C: Nigeria vs Tanzania, Complexe Sportif de Fes, Fes (17:30)

Group C: Tunisia vs Uganda, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Wednesday, 24 December

Group E: Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, Casablanca (12:30)

Group E: Algeria vs Sudan, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (15:00)

Group F: Ivory Coast vs Mozambique, Marrakech (17:30)

Group F: Cameroon vs Gabon, Agadir (20:00)

Friday, 26 December

Group B: Angola vs Zimbabwe, Marrakech (12:30)

Group B: Egypt vs South Africa, Agadir (15:00)

Group A: Zambia vs Comoros, Casablanca (17:30)

Group A: Morocco vs Mali, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Saturday, 27 December

Group D: Benin vs Botswana, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (12:30)

Group D: Senegal vs DR Congo, Tangier (15:00)

Group C: Uganda vs Tanzania, Stade El Barid, Rabat (17:30)

Group C: Nigeria vs Tunisia, Fes (20:00)

Sunday, 28 December

Group F: Gabon vs Mozambique, Agadir (12:30)

Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan, Casablanca (15:00)

Group E: Algeria vs Burkina Faso, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (17:30)

Group F: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon, Marrakech (20:00)

Monday, 29 December

Group B: Angola vs Egypt, Agadir (16:00)

Group B: Zimbabwe vs South Africa, Marrakech (16:00)

Group A: Comoros vs Mali, Casablanca (19:00)

Group A: Zambia vs Morocco, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Tuesday, 30 December

Group C: Tanzania vs Tunisia, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (16:00)

Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria, Fes (16:00)

Group D: Benin vs Senegal, Tangier (19:00)

Group D: Botswana vs DR Congo, Stade El Barid, Rabat (19:00)

Wednesday, 31 December

Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (16:00)

Group E: Sudan vs Burkina Faso, Casablanca (16:00)

Group F: Gabon vs Ivory Coast, Marrakech (19:00)

Group F: Mozambique vs Cameroon, Agadir (19:00)

Afcon 2025 second round schedule

Saturday, 3 January

SR1: Group D Winner vs 3rd Place Group B/E/F, Tangier (16:00)

SR2: Group A Second Place vs Group C Second Place, Casablanca (19:00)

Sunday, 4 January

SR3: Group A Winner vs 3rd Place Group C/D/E, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (16:00)

SR4: Group B Second Place vs Group F Second Place, Stade El Barid, Rabat (19:00)

Monday, 5 January

SR5: Group B Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/C/D, Agadir (16:00)

SR6: Group C Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/B/F, Fes (19:00)

Tuesday, 6 January

SR7: Group E Winner vs Group D Second Place, Complexe Sportif Prince Heretier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (16:00)

SR8: Group F Winner vs Group E Second Place, Marrakech (19:00)

Afcon 2025 quarter-finals

Friday, 9 January

QF1: Winner SR2 vs Winner SR1, Tangier (16:00)

QF2: Winner SR4 vs Winner SR3, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Saturday, 10 January

QF3: Winner SR7 vs Winner SR6, Marrakech (16:00)

QF4: Winner SR5 vs Winner SR8, Agadir (19:00)

Semi-finals

Wednesday, 14 January

SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4, Tangier (17:00)

SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Third place play-off

Saturday, 17 January

SF1 vs SF2 losers, Casablanca (16:00)

Afcon 2025 final

Sunday, 18 January

SF1 vs SF2 winners, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)