The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations got off to an exciting start on Sunday, December 21, with Matchday One delivering goals, late drama and early group-shaping results across all six groups, as hosts Morocco set the tone in the tournament opener.
Group A
Hosts Morocco opened their campaign in style with a 2–0 victory over Comoros, courtesy of goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi, to claim top spot after the first round of fixtures. In the group’s other match, Mali and Zambia shared the points in a 1–1 draw. Lassine Sinayoko gave Mali the lead before Patson Daka struck a stoppage-time equaliser for Zambia.
Standings: Morocco (3 pts), Mali (1), Zambia (1), Comoros (0)
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Group B
South Africa edged past Angola 2–1, while Egypt came from behind to defeat Zimbabwe 2–1. Goals from Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah sealed the comeback win for the Pharaohs, who sit top of the group on goal difference alongside South Africa.
Standings: Egypt (3), South Africa (3), Angola (0), Zimbabwe (0)
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Group C
Tunisia made a strong start with a 3–1 win over Uganda, while Nigeria secured a 2–1 victory against Tanzania, with Ademola Lookman among the scorers. Both teams collected maximum points to set up an early battle for supremacy in the group.
Standings: Tunisia (3), Nigeria (3), Uganda (0), Tanzania (0)
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Group D
Defending champions Senegal delivered one of the most dominant performances of Matchday One, brushing aside Botswana 3–0, with Nicholas Jackson scoring twice. DR Congo also opened their campaign with a narrow 1–0 win over Benin, leaving Senegal top on goal difference.
Standings: Senegal (3), DR Congo (3), Benin (0), Botswana (0)
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Group E
Algeria announced their intentions with a commanding 3–0 victory over Sudan, while Burkina Faso edged Equatorial Guinea 2–1 in a closely fought contest.
Standings: Algeria (3), Burkina Faso (3), Equatorial Guinea (0), Sudan (0)
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Group F
Matchday One ended with two tightly contested fixtures as Cameroon defeated Gabon 1–0, and Ivory Coast also recorded a 1–0 win over Mozambique. Amad Diallo scored the decisive goal for the Ivorians as both sides claimed early momentum.
Standings: Cameroon (3), Ivory Coast (3), Gabon (0), Mozambique (0)
With Matchday One completed, attention now turns to Matchday Two, which continues on Friday, December 26, 2025, as teams look to strengthen their positions in the race for the knockout stages. The tournament will run until January 18, 2026, with anticipation already building across Morocco.
