Africa's greatest tournament gets underway on 21st December, with Morocco hosting the 35th edition. Ivory Coast are the defending champions, winning the 2023 tournament on their home soil.
With 24 teams aiming for glory, groups A-C are listed below, including a list of Premiership stars to keep an eye out for.
Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Morocco
Manager: Walid Regragui
World Ranking: 11
Best AFCON Result: Champions (1976)
Premiership players called up: Noussair Mazraoui (Man United), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)
For the first time since 1988, Morocco will host the African Cup of Nations. And they do so as favourites.
The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, the highest-ranked side in Africa, will want to go one better than their previous hosting campaign, where they suffered a semi-final defeat to Cameroon.
Despite their impressive rise up the rankings over the last few years, Morocco's recent performances at AFCON have been below expectations. The last time they reached the semi-final stage was back in 2004. Despite topping their group in the 2023 edition, they lost their last 16 tie 2-0 to South Africa.
With the pressure on, Regragui's side will be roared on in North Africa on the back of an impressive winning run. In fact, that defeat to South Africa 20 matches ago was the last time the nation was on the losing side of a game, unbeaten since in all competitions, including friendlies.
Despite hosting, they did enter qualification for some competitive practice. They won six out of six group games, in a four-team battle including Gabon, scoring 26 in the process. They also qualified comfortably for the 2026 World Cup, winning all eight of their qualifying games after seeing off Niger, Tanzania, Congo and Zambia twice - the latter they face in this AFCON edition.
Mali
Manager: Tom Saintfiet
World Ranking: 54
Best AFCON Result: Runners-up (1972)
Premiership players called up: Yves Bissouma (Tottenham)
The Eagles' head north as one of the stronger teams among the second seeds, despite missing out on a spot at the extended 2026 World Cup.
The West African nation has made it to the knockout stages of the last three AFCON editions, although have failed to reach the semi-final stage since back-to-back third-place finishes in 2012 and 2013.
Their Belgian manager, Tom Saintfiet, took charge just over a year ago. The much-travelled coach has a pedigree when it comes to AFCON, famously guiding Gambia to the quarter-finals back in 2021, after beating both Tunisia and Guinea.
They qualified for this edition unbeaten ahead of Mozambique, despite drawing with them in their opening group game. They also missed out on even a playoff spot at the 2026 World Cup after finishing third in their group behind Ghana and Madagascar. Two defeats to Ghana, plus dropped points both home and away against lowly Central African Republic, were the factors in missing out on a potential first-ever World Cup.
Zambia
Manager: Moses Sichone
World Ranking: 90
Best AFCON Result: Champions (2012)
Premiership players called up: None
The 2012 champions have qualified for back-to-back editions after missing three consecutive tournaments between 2017 & 2021.
'The Copper Bullets' replaced previous manager Avram Grant with his assistant Moses Sichone, this being his first senior managerial job.
The last time Zambia won an AFCON game was in fact the 2012 final. Since then, nine group stage games have passed without a victory, although seven of those finished in draws. In the most recent edition, Zambia failed to advance in third place after draws with DR Congo and Tanzania.
They qualified for AFCON thanks to a strong campaign, edging Ivory Coast to top spot after beating them 1-0 in Ndola. Their more recent WCQ campaign did not go as planned, losing five of their eight matches to finish below Morocco, Niger & Tanzania. The results, combined with the fact that the side won one of their eight games played in 2025, led to Grant's dismissal.
Comoros
Manager: Stefano Cusin
World Ranking: 108
Best AFCON Result: Round of 16 (2021)
Premiership players called up: None
Comoros are one of the only sides in Africa to have a 100% record of advancing from the group stages of the AFCON - completed in their sole appearance back in 2021.
Despite this, the nation failed to build on its progress, unable to even qualify for the 2023 edition. However, they return for a second attempt this month's finals in Morocco.
Their place was secured with an unbeaten record in qualifying, collecting four points from Tunisia, including a famous 1-0 win in Tunis. They also saw off Gambia and Madagascar to top the group, despite being 3rd seeds. Canadian coach Stefano Cusin oversaw the successful campaign.
Comoros finished 4th in their WCQ campaign, in a tough-looking group alongside Ghana and Mali. The most prominent of their five victories came against Ghana, beating the Black Stars 1-0 at home. They were beaten 3-0 in both ties against Mali this year, home and away, who they face in their upcoming group on the final matchday.
Their opening game is against the hosts in Rabat.
Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Egypt
Manager: Hossam Hassan
World Ranking: 34
Best AFCON Result: 7x champions (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Premiership players called up: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Man City)
The nation with the most AFCON titles heads to Morocco, preparing for a tight-looking Group B.
After two final defeats since 2017, 2023 saw 'The Pharaohs' fail to win a single game at the tournament for the first time in over 30 years. Four draws from four games led to a dramatic 8-7 penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the Round of 16.
Led by captain Mo Salah and manager Hossam Hassan, both of whom are the two highest goal scorers in Egypt's history, it was a comfortable qualification campaign to book their tickets to the finals. Egypt finished unbeaten in a group involving 2026 World Cup debutants Cape Verde, who themselves failed to qualify.
Egypt have also qualified for the upcoming World Cup recently, with little trouble in their qualification journey. Eight wins from 10 games, including a victory over Burkina Faso, meant they were the third side in Africa to confirm their spot.
A recent friendly tournament in the UAE ended with a loss to Uzbekistan and a draw with Cape Verde. Aside from that, the team have endured a winning feeling in 2025, winning five of their six matches without conceding a single goal.
South Africa
Manager: Hugo Broos
World Ranking: 61
Best AFCON Result: Champions (1996)
Premiership players called up: Lyle Foster (Burnley)
It's been a successful 2025 so far for South Africa, booking their place at the 2026 World Cup, their first finals since hosting the tournament back in 2010. Ending the year with a good AFCON run would be perfect preparation for manager Hugo Broos.
After failing to qualify for AFCON in 2012, 2017, & 2021, 'Bafana Bafana' achieved a third-place finish at the 2023 edition, their best result since 2000. After losing their opening game to Mali, wins over Namibia, Morocco and Cape Verde led them into the last four. A penalty shootout defeat to Nigeria prevented them from reaching a first final since lifting the trophy back in 1996.
South Africa's ticket to the other side of the continent came with a few close calls. A 95th-minute equaliser against their closest competitors, Uganda, plus a 95th-minute winner in a 3-2 win over South Sudan, allowed them to clinch top spot by just one point.
Their form has taken an upward turn after a tough few years for the national team. Their last senior defeat on the pitch was the penalty shootout loss to Nigeria at the 2023 AFCON.
The current unbeaten run, however, is only officially eight games, as their 2-0 WCQ win over Lesotho was later given a 3-0 loss, as South Africa fielded an ineligible player. A tough WCQ group saw South Africa finish above both Nigeria and Benin, despite the points deduction.
Angola
Manager: Patrice Beaumelle
World Ranking: 89
Best AFCON Result: x3 Quarter Finals (2008, 2010, 2023)
Premiership players called up: None
The 2010 hosts come to the latest AFCON off the back of a joint best run Quarter Final run back in 2023.
After qualifying for just two of the last five editions, Angola have never advanced past the last eight stage, losing to Nigeria in the previous edition. Qualification for these finals will be their first back-to-back AFCONs since 2013.
Angola were one of the teams to take advantage of a shocking Ghana side back in qualification. They topped a group in which the 'Black Stars' failed to win any of their six matches. The southern African nation finished top of the pack unbeaten, picking up four points against Ghana.
The coach who guided them to Morocco, however, will not be in charge at the tournament. Pedro Goncalves had been in charge for six years before the football association made the decision to part ways. A week later, Patrice Beaumelle (assistant to Hervé Renard for much of his career) was appointed the new manager. With 2026 World Cup hopes all but faded, his opening games in charge were qualifying draws against both Eswatini and Cameroon. His first win came in a friendly against Zambia just last month.
Two wins in 10 qualifying games were below expected, given the run Angola had been on prior. In the 13 games played through 2025, they have lost three times, one of those under new coach Beaumelle, a 2-0 defeat to Argentina last month.
Zimbabwe
Manager: Mario Marinica
World Ranking: 129
Best AFCON Result: x5 group stage (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021)
Premiership players called up: Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves)
Zimbabwe have endured a tough period, following two FIFA bans within the last 10 years, relating to government interference within the football association. The most recent suspension prevented them from entering the qualification for the previous AFCON.
The nation has reached six finals, with Morocco their seventh appearance, including three successive finals between 2017 and 2021. 'The Warriors' have never passed the group stages, having won three games in 15 attempts at the finals. One of those victories came at their last AFCON appearance, a 2-1 win over Guinea, having already been eliminated.
They travel to North Africa with a new man at the helm, whose third game in charge of the national team will be their opener against Egypt. Romanian Mario Marinica has previous success at AFCON, having led a Malawi side at the 2021 edition to the knockout stages despite taking charge just a month beforehand.
Zimbabwe caused a surprise in Mario's second game in charge last month, beating Qatar 2-1 in Doha in a friendly. It was just their second win in 2025, after 11 matches. They finished bottom of their recent WCQ group, failing to win any of their 10 games, despite drawing with both South Africa and Nigeria.
Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Nigeria
Manager: Eric Chelle
World Ranking: 38
Best AFCON Result: x3 champions (1980, 1994, 2013)
Premiership players called up: Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham), Frank Onyeka (Brentford),
It's been a turbulent past year for Nigeria, who head to North Africa having failed to reach the 2026 World Cup after a qualification campaign full of bumps.
After winning the AFCON in 2013, the Super Eagles reached another final a decade later in the Ivory Coast. It ended in heartbreak a couple of years ago, losing in the final against the hosts after seeing off South Africa and Cameroon en route.
That defeat started a downward turn through 2024, which included some underwhelming results. They qualified for this AFCON, finishing above Benin and Rwanda, despite picking up just one point from two games against the lowly ranked latter. They won three of their six matches, with 11 points the lowest tally among all 12 group winners.
In 2026 WCQ, they also began with some surprising results, drawing their openers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. The poor form continued, failing to win any of their opening four games. Winning three of their last four games saw them steal second place, amid a last-minute winner to send them into the playoffs by one goal. After beating Gabon 4-1, they lost on penalties in the final against DR Congo, meaning they will miss out on a second successive World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Manager Eric Chelle took charge at the start of the year. The former Mali manager is unbeaten in 11 games (Over 90 minutes) since the start of the year, although they have drawn with the likes of Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Russia. While Tunisia are their biggest opponent in terms of seeding, Nigeria have shown in recent times its the lower-ranked nations causing them the biggest problems in competitive games.
Tunisia
Manager: Sami Trabelsi
World Ranking: 40
Best AFCON Result: Champions (2004)
Premiership players called up: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
Tunisia have qualified for their 17th successive AFCON tournament, with the only time they lifted the trophy coming in their home country back in 2004.
The 10 tournaments since then have produced just one Semi-Final appearance back in 2019, overshadowed by six quarter-final eliminations and three group stage exits. The most recent being at the 2023 edition.
Tunisia failed to win a game at AFCON for the first time since 2010, in a tricky group involving South Africa and Mali. An opening defeat to Namibia made their task even harder, and they eventually finished bottom despite two draws. An overall position of 20th equated to their worst-ever performance at Africa's biggest competition.
Their qualifying route to 2025 wasn't straightforward, albeit under their previous manager, Faouzi Benzarti. The team won their opener 1-0 against Madagascar, courtesy of a 98th-minute winner in Tunis. Without that goal, Tunisia would not have qualified for the finals. They finished two points above Gambia, despite a defeat to them, as well as a home loss to Comoros.
Back in February, the football association re-appointed Sami Trabelsi as manager. The 57-year-old managed the country back in 2011, before resigning after a disappointing 2013 AFCON. The early signs since his return have been positive. Trabelsi led Tunisia to the 2026 World Cup without conceding a goal, the first time in history this has happened.
They saw off the likes of Equatorial Guinea, Namibia and Liberia over 10 games, finishing unbeaten with nine wins. They also beat Jordan in a recent friendly, as well as drew with Brazil.
Uganda
Manager: Paul Put
World Ranking: 85
Best AFCON Result: Runners-up (1978)
Premiership players called up: None
After missing the last two editions, Uganda will be back at the 2025 AFCON, in a tough-looking Group C
Since losing the 1978 final, 'The Cranes' waited almost 35 years to reach another tournament, qualifying back-to-back in 2017 and 2019.
Booking their ticket to Morocco was done so with relative ease. They coasted through their qualifying group alongside South Africa, even drawing 2-2 in Johannesburg. Back-to-back wins over Congo ensured their spot with two games to play.
Manager Paul Put has a wealth of international experience as he approaches his third year in charge. The Belgian coach has also managed Gambia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Guinea, Congo and Jordan. Their recent WCQ group saw the third seeds secure a second-place finish, ahead of Mozambique and Guinea. Aside from narrow defeats to group winners Algeria, Uganda won six matches, their highest win rate in World Cup qualifying history. Despite a runner-up spot secured, it wasn't quite enough to clinch a playoff spot.
Tanzania
Manager: Hemed Morocco
World Ranking: 112
Best AFCON Result: x3 group stages (1980, 2019, 2023)
Premiership players called up: None
Led by their manager Hemed Morocco, Tanzania head to Morocco to take part in just their fourth AFCON tournament.
The nation has never managed to make it beyond the group stages, nor have they ever won a game in nine attempts at the showpiece. After losing all three group games in 2019 and missing out in 2021, the squad picked up their highest points tally at the last edition, despite finishing bottom of their group. After losing 3-0 to Morocco in their opener, they were denied a win late on against Zambia, before drawing 0-0 with DR Congo.
Despite boasting several players from domestic clubs Young Africans and Simba, both of whom often reach the knockout stages of the African Champions League, the national team have failed to kick on. They qualified for the AFCON ahead of Guinea, following a dramatic 1-0 win at home on the final matchday to clinch second spot.
World Cup qualifying saw them finish in third spot, fading away after winning two of their first three games. Defeats to Zambia and Niger mean they are yet to win a game this calendar year in six attempts, including recent friendly losses to Iran and Kuwait.
