And as the group stage continues, the talks are getting more intense. This instalment promises excitement, filled with powerhouses, rising stars and very competitive groups.
As you read on, we will break down the qualified teams, expected contenders, surprise names, and the key players to watch. Our insights come from experts and performance allowance, so rest assured that you are getting the best.
AFCON Team Line Up For 2025
This table shows how the 24 qualified football teams are grouped for the tournament:
Group A
- Comoros
- Mali
- Morocco
- Zambia
Group B
- Angola
- Egypt
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
Group C
- Nigeria
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
Group D
- Benin
- Botswana
- DR Congo
- Senegal
Group E
- Algeria
- Burkina Faso
- Equatorial Guinea
- Sudan
Group F
- Cameroon
- Gabon
- Ivory Coast
- Mozambique
These groups form the basis for our groups predictions, highlighting favourites, dark horses, and surprise teams.
Spotlight on the Key Teams
One thing we love about AFCON is how well it balances the teams. In this tournament, you get a good mix of powerhouses and rising nations. That explains why there are lots of upsets.
Our expert insights singles out several teams that stand out based on the form, key players and tactical superiority. The analysis we made stems from team performance during qualifiers, squad strength and past tournament performances. Let’s take them one after the other.
Favourites
Morocco have maintained their status as favourites to win their home AFCON. They’ve not performed exceptionally well, but have managed to get the job done every time. In front of their home fans, they could be difficult to stop.
However, Senegal should be regarded as the true favourites, especially since they are the continent’s best-ranked football nation. The Teranga Lions scored exactly three goals in three of their four matches in this competition, an indication of how good they are up front. With Sadio Mane leading the way, Senegal are genuine contenders to win AFCON this year.
Egypt started the competition as one of the favourites, but that has faded because of their unconvincing performances since the start of the group stage. However, they shouldn’t be written off, especially with just three games until the promised land.
Dark Horses
As original dark horses, Mali find themselves in the last eight of the competition. But they have the difficult task of locking horns with Senegal for a space in the final four. However, the Eagles have an incredible squad that can overcome any African powerhouse on their day.
From not being given much of a chance of winning this competition, Nigeria have emerged as serious contenders to win their fourth AFCON title. The Super Eagles won all their group games and easily defeated Mozambique 4-0 in the round-of-16. As a result, they’ve taken the label of dark horses to win it all this year.
On that note, Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire are also waiting in the wings for other nations to slip up. Neither team have lost a game yet and could cause upsets, given the quality of their squads.
Surprise Teams
The surprise package remaining in the tournament is Cameroon. With all the issues they’ve faced off the field before AFCON kicked off, they’ve done incredibly well. The Indomitable Lions went through their group without losing and drew against Cote d’Ivoire. The Central African nation will face Morocco in the last eight. They could surprise the continent by going all the way if they can defeat the hosts.Spotlight on the Key Teams
We have done the research for each team, and some of them stand in the spotlight for the AFCON team predictions for 2025. These sides have a good combination of individual brilliance and tactical strength, making them strong contenders in the tournament. Let’s look at each of them:
- Nigeria – Lethal attack: Nigeria’s strength is in its attack. Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are the main men for the Super Eagles, who have already scored 12 goals in their four AFCON games. They will rely on these two to drive them home.
- Senegal – Balanced and disciplined: Senegal are Africa’s best-ranked team for a reason. They have quality players in every position, players who are mostly based at big clubs across Europe. Apart from Sadio Mane, PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye is one of the best young talents to look out for.
- Morocco – Tactical structure and technical skill: They’ve delivered the results they needed to get to this part of the competition. However, the home fans will be looking for more tactical nous and require their players to activate the type of skills that got them to the 2022 World Cup semi-final. Brahim Diaz has been their standout performer, scoring in every game so far.
These teams are going to be very entertaining to watch and they’ll definitely set the tone for the tournament.
Team Selection Process
The qualification phase set the stage for all AFCON team predictions. It showed that even some powerhouses can fail at critical moments, while new contenders can go all out to make it through.
Several teams delivered surprising performances during the qualifier schedule. Senegal, for instance, had an unbeaten run with five wins and one draw. Their run showed consistency in both home and away fixtures. Comoros also shocked everyone with an unbeaten run, finishing with three wins and three losses.
Nigeria have also performed strongly, as they’ve secured their spot early with very decisive wins and a strong goal difference. This is a reflection of their attacking prowess.
Morocco and Egypt also showed tactical brilliance with their structural play, relying on clinical finishing to win games.
Then what is an AFCON without a few surprise qualifications? Apart from Comoros, we saw this in teams like Zambia and Equatorial Guinea, who took advantage of their attacking moments while maintaining a solid defensive structure.
These performances influence both AFCON betting odds and our overall winner predictions.
FAQs about AFCON 2025 Teams
Here is a quick look at some frequently asked questions about the AFCON 2025:
Which AFCON teams are favourites for 2025?
Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria and Egypt stand out as early favourites. They’ve shown tactical consistency and good form going into the tournament.
Which AFCON teams are expected to be dark horses?
Some expected dark horses to look out for are Mali, Tunisia and South Africa.
Who are the key players in AFCON teams to watch?
Three key players that always have something to look forward to are Mohammed Salah of Egypt, Sadio Mane of Senegal, and Victor Oshimen of Nigeria.
How did the AFCON teams qualify for 2025?
The qualification was decided through a group-stage format. Those who finished on top of the group and best runner-ups qualified for the tournament.
Which AFCON teams have the toughest group stage?
Group B nations arguably have the toughest fixtures, consisting of Angola, Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.