The Confederation of African Football has unveiled the detailed program of matches for the first round of the final phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The competition will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026. The first round will last eleven days, with matches divided into groups and successive days.
A group stage spread from December 21 to 31
The group stage will begin on December 21 with the opening match between Morocco and Comoros. The first round matches will then continue until December 31, with two to four matches scheduled daily.
Tunisia will enter the fray on December 23 against Uganda, before facing Nigeria on the second day and Tanzania on the last day of Group C.
Detailed program of the first round
1st day
December 21
- Group A: Morocco – Comoros (8:00 p.m.)
December 22
- Group A: Mali – Zambia (3:00 p.m.)
- Group B: South Africa – Angola (6:00 p.m.)
- Group B: Egypt – Zimbabwe (9:00 p.m.)
December 23
- Group D: DR Congo – Benin (1:30 p.m.)
- Group D: Senegal – Botswana (4:00 p.m.)
- Group C: Nigeria – Tanzania (6:30 p.m.)
- Group C: Tunisia – Uganda (9:00 p.m.)
December 24
- Group E: Burkina Faso – Equatorial Guinea (1:30 p.m.)
- Group E: Algeria – Sudan (4:00 p.m.)
- Group F: Ivory Coast – Mozambique (6:30 p.m.)
- Group F: Cameroon – Gabon (9:00 p.m.)
2nd day
December 26
- Group B: Angola – Zimbabwe (1:30 p.m.)
- Group B: Egypt – South Africa (4:00 p.m.)
- Group A: Zambia – Comoros (6:30 p.m.)
- Group A: Morocco – Mali (8:00 p.m.)
December 27
- Group D: Benin – Botswana (1:30 p.m.)
- Group D: DR Congo – Senegal (4:00 p.m.)
- Group C: Uganda – Tanzania (6:30 p.m.)
- Group C: Tunisia – Nigeria (9:00 p.m.)
December 28
- Group F: Gabon – Mozambique (1:30 p.m.)
- Group E: Equatorial Guinea – Sudan (4:00 p.m.)
- Group E: Algeria – Burkina Faso (6:30 p.m.)
- Group F: Cameroon – Ivory Coast (9:00 p.m.)
3rd day
December 29
- Group B: Egypt – Angola (5:00 p.m.)
- Group B: South Africa – Zimbabwe (5:00 p.m.)
- Group A: Morocco – Zambia (8:00 p.m.)
- Group A: Comoros – Mali (8:00 p.m.)
December 30
- Group C: Tunisia – Tanzania (5:00 p.m.)
- Group C: Nigeria – Uganda (5:00 p.m.)
- Group D: Benin – Senegal (8:00 p.m.)
- Group D: DR Congo – Botswana (8:00 p.m.)
December 31
- Group E: Algeria – Equatorial Guinea (5:00 p.m.)
- Group E: Burkina Faso – Sudan (5:00 p.m.)
- Group F: Cameroon – Mozambique (8:00 p.m.)
- Group F: Gabon – Ivory Coast (8:00 p.m.)
The diagram of the 2nd round
At the end of the group stage, the first two in each group as well as the best third-place finishers will advance to the round of 16.
Round of 16
January 3
- 5 p.m.: 1st in group D – 3rd in group B, E or F (H1)
- 8 p.m.: 2nd in group A – 2nd in group C (H2)
January 4
- 5 p.m.: 1st in group A – 3rd in group C, D or E (H3)
- 8 p.m.: 2nd in group B – 2nd in group F (H4)
January 5
- 5 p.m.: 1st in group B – 3rd in group A, C or D (H5)
- 8 p.m.: 1st in group C – 3rd in group A, B or F (H6)
January 6
- 5 p.m.: 1st in group E – 2nd in group D (H7)
- 8 p.m.: 1st in group F – 2nd in group E (H8)
Quarter-finals
January 9
- 5 p.m.: Winner H1 – Winner H2 (Q1)
- 8 p.m.: Winner H3 – Winner H4 (Q2)
January 10
- 5 p.m.: Winner H5 – Winner H7 (Q3)
- 8 p.m.: Winner H6 – Winner H8 (Q4)
Semi-finals
January 14
- 6 p.m.: Winner Q1 – Winner Q3 (D1)
- 9 p.m.: Winner Q2 – Winner Q4 (D2)
Final
January 18
8 p.m.: Winner D1 – Winner D2
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