AFCON 2025 Kicked off on December 21st as the host nation Morocco walked away with the 3 points against Comoros who made it difficult for them in the opening 45 minutes, the host nation was able to break the deadlock in the 60th minute through their talisman Brahim Dias, followed by a spectacular overhead kick from Ayoub El Kaabi leading to a commanding 2-0 win for the host.
All eyes were on Mohamed Salah as Egypt demonstrated fight with their hard-fought 2-1 win against Zimbabwe, secured by Liverpool’s star 91st-minute winner. Defending champions Ivory Coast started their campaign with a single strike from Amad Diallo, which secured a 1-0 victory against Mozambique.
The favorites Senegal made a statement with a dominant 3-0 win against Botswana as Nicolas Jackson netted a brace, signaling their intent to win the tournament. Elsewhere, Burkina Faso provided perhaps the most dramatic finish of the match day one with two stoppage-time goals to secure a 2-1 comeback win against Equatorial Guinea.
The Super Eagles also started their campaign with a hard-fought win against Tanzania. Ademola Lookman proved to be the difference maker, scoring the winning goal minutes after the Taifa stars equalized. Meanwhile, Algeria made a huge statement, beating Sudan 3-0, thanks to a brace by Ryad Mahrez. South Africa kicked off with a 2-1 win over Angola, while James Eyong’s debut goal secured a 1-0 win for Cameroon against Gabon. With 25 goals shared across 12 matches, AFCON has already started to prove that it is going to be an enjoyable tournament.
