It's time to circle the dates on your calendar, plan your watch parties, and brace yourself for a month filled with crazy football action. The 35th African Cup of Nations is coming, and it should be a good one. 

It's happening over the holidays, going from 2025 into 2026. This guide has you covered with everything you need to know: the complete schedule, the groups, where the games are, and all the important dates. You won't miss any of the AFCON excitement.

Key Tournament Dates:

In a rare scheduling shift, necessitated by the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the summer of 2025, the 2025 African Nations Cup will be a winter tournament, spanning the Christmas and New Year holidays. 

This timing should make the competition even more fun. The tournament lasts almost a month, and then they'll crown a new champ. Here are the most important dates to circle:

The opening match, featuring hosts Morocco, is set for Sunday, December 21, 2025, in Rabat, kicking off a non-stop barrage of AFCON games right through the holidays.

The Host Nation and Venues

The 2025 edition of the Cup of Nations will be hosted by Morocco, marking only the second time the North African nation has staged the tournament, having previously done so in 1988. Morocco is getting ready to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

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They're planning to use the tournament as a big way to test their infrastructure and how prepared they are. Games are going to be held in six cities, using nine really nice stadiums. With all these venues, the World Cup should be a party that reaches many parts of Morocco.

Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat is set to host both the opening ceremony and the final game on January 18, 2026. It's a big deal for them!

The Groups

The 24 teams that made it are split into six groups, four teams each. The way it works is that the top two teams in each group move on to the next round, and the four next-best third-place teams get to go, too. 

This setup is cool because even if a team comes in third, they still have a shot at making it to the Round of 16. Here is the breakdown of the six groups:

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Complete Group Stage Schedule

The group stage is an intense 11-day period, featuring 36 matches played across all nine venues. Below is the full list of Africa Cup of Nations fixtures, with dates and kick-off times (all times are in Morocco Local Time / GMT, which is the same as UTC).

Group A Fixtures

Group B Fixtures

Group C Fixtures

Group D Fixtures

Group E Fixtures

Group F Fixtures

The intense schedule of Africa Cup of Nations fixtures ensures that football fans will have a continuous stream of elite action throughout the holiday period.

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The Knockout Stage (Road to the Final)

Once the group stage wraps up on New Year's Eve, things get serious fast! The knockout stage kicks off with the Round of 16. The 12 teams that made it through the group stage will meet the four best third-place teams to battle it out.

Round of 16: The Final 16 Battle

The Round of 16 has eight games over four days, and that's where you see who the real competitors are. Things get way more tense at this point since teams could get knocked out early. The pairings depend on which of the third-place teams make it in.

Quarter-finals

The teams that win in the Round of 16 go on to the Quarter-finals. That's where things get really intense, and teams either make their dreams come true or get knocked out. Only four teams will emerge from these highly contested Africa Cup of Nations fixtures.

Semi-finals

The tournament is almost over! The four best teams in the land are fighting it out for a place in the final game. These single-day, high-stakes games are often considered some of the most compelling AFCON games.

Third-Place Play-off

Even if it's not first place, the third-place game lets two teams end the tournament with a win.

The Grand Final: The Ultimate AFCON Fixture

It all comes down to this: the last two teams battling it out to see who will be crowned the champion of Africa. This is the Africa Cup of Nations fixtures everyone waits for, promising drama, skill, and the crowning of a continental king.

The Legacy

To really get how big this tournament is going to be, it's good to check out how it all started. The AFCON tournament has been a stage for some of football's greatest legends and most dramatic upsets.

Egypt totally rocks this competition – they've won more than anyone else! Understanding this history adds context to every match in the Africa Cup of Nations fixtures.

Here is the list of AFCON winners and their total titles:

• Egypt: 7 titles

• Cameroon: 5 titles

• Ghana: 4 titles

• Nigeria: 3 titles

• Ivory Coast: 3 titles

• DR Congo: 2 titles

• Algeria: 2 titles

• Zambia: 1 title

• Tunisia: 1 title

• Sudan: 1 title

• Ethiopia: 1 title

• Morocco: 1 title

• South Africa: 1 title

• Congo: 1 title

• Senegal: 1 title

The competition to join the exclusive top 10 most AFCON winners list is fierce, and every match, every goal, and every result in the Africa Cup of Nations fixtures contributes to this rich legacy.

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More Africa Cup of Nations Fixtures to Watch

Beyond the big clashes in the group stage, there are several key Africa Cup of Nations fixtures that could shape the tournament's narrative and provide incredible entertainment:

• Group A: Morocco vs Mali (Dec 26): Morocco is playing a tough West African team. This game could decide who wins the group, and it'll show if Morocco can really compete for the title.

• Group B: Egypt vs South Africa (Dec 26): This game is always a big deal. It's a classic showdown between two of the best teams from North and Sub-Saharan Africa. It's not just a game; it often decides who wins the group because they want to be the winner.

• Group C: Nigeria vs Tunisia (Dec 27): This game is a big deal because two strong teams are facing off in a group where every win counts.

• Group F: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon (Dec 28): It's the defending champs versus the team with five titles! This is arguably the biggest group stage clash in the entire Africa Cup of Nations fixtures list, featuring two heavyweights with vast experience.

Every game in the Africa Cup of Nations matters, but these ones will probably get the most eyes from fans and scouts all over the world.

Conclusion

From the first kick-off in Rabat on December 21 to the trophy presentation on January 18, 2026, the 2025 AFCON is going to be a truly memorable event. The full schedule of Africa Cup of Nations fixtures is now public, laying out a path filled with drama, passion, and the very best of African football.

Everything's lining up just right – with the teams battling it out, awesome spots in Morocco, and the holiday season vibe – this tourney should be one for the books. Whether you're a die-hard supporter, a neutral looking for great football, or just catching up on the action, the Africa Cup of Nations fixtures provide the roadmap to all the excitement. 

Get ready to catch every pass, tackle, and goal! It's a tough road to becoming the champion of Africa, but the prize is the biggest honor on the continent.

People Also Asked About African Cup of Nations Fixtures

• When and where is AFCON 2025?

The 2025 Afcon is kicking off on Sunday, December 21st, and wrapping up on Sunday, January 18th, 2026. The first game is at 7 PM UK time, with Morocco, the host country, playing Comoros in Rabat at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The final match will be four weeks later at the same stadium in Rabat.

• Will Nigeria be in AFCON 2025?

Nigeria's coach, Eric Chelle, has picked a strong 28-player team for the 2025 Africa Cup in Morocco. Big names like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are leading the charge in what looks like a really strong attacking lineup.

• How many teams will go to AFCON 2025?

In 2025, Morocco will host the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, featuring twenty-four men's national football teams from across Africa. The tournament is scheduled to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

• Which countries will host AFCON in 2027?

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, also called AFCON 2027 or CAN 2027, is coming up! This will be the 36th time that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has put on this big tournament every two years. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania are hosting, and the games will be played from June 19 to July 18, 2027.

• Which country did not qualify for AFCON 2025?

Ghana, who've won the African championship four times, won't be at the AFCON 2025. It's the first time they've missed it since 2004!

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