The group stages are over. After ten days of intense competition, the first round of CAN 2025 ended this Wednesday evening in Morocco with the conclusion of groups E and F. If eight teams are already eliminated, the 16 best nations on the African continent have booked their ticket for the knockout matches, which will start on Saturday January 3, 2026.
On the program, very high level posters from the round of 16. Spread over four days, these will see several leading countries cross swords, like the clash between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, scheduled for Tuesday January 6 at 5 p.m. Morocco and Senegal, big favorites of the competition, were spared since they will find two nations having finished among the best thirds. The Atlas Lions will challenge Tanzania on Sunday January 4 at 5 p.m., while Sadio Mané and his partners will face Sudan opening, Saturday January 3 at 5 p.m.
Another expected shock: the meeting between South Africa and Cameroon, at least as indecisive as the reunion between Mali and Tunisia.
Towards a Morocco-Algeria derby in the semi-final?
If the big guns continue to hold their place – as has been the case since the start of the CAN – the level should continue to rise in the quarter-finals, particularly at the bottom of the table. If successful against the DRC, Algeria could meet another big player, Nigeria, before a potential Maghreb derby against Morocco in the last four, which is already making all followers of African football salivate.
At the top of the table, Senegal will find on its way the winner of the round of 16 between Mali and Tunisia for a first test at high altitude before potentially crossing swords with Egypt or Ivory Coast, if the two behemoths of the continent escape from the clutches of Benin and Burkina Faso respectively and meet for a vintage quarter-final.
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