African Cup of Nations 2025: Morocco, Senegal, and Ivory Coast as Favorites

Morocco: The Overwhelming Favorite

• 🇲🇦 Morocco, the host nation, is considered the overwhelming favorite for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
• 🏆 Having achieved a historic semi-finalist position in the last World Cup, expectations are high for the Atlas Lions.
• ⚡ The team is on a remarkable streak of 18 consecutive victories, boosting confidence for the host country.
• 🩹 Key player Achraf Hakimi is expected to play despite an ankle injury sustained in early November.

Senegal: Aiming for a Second Title

• 🇸🇳 Senegal, led by Sadio Mané, is also a strong contender, aiming to win their second Africa Cup of Nations.
• 💰 The Lions of Teranga are valued at 420 million euros, placing them just behind Morocco in squad valuation.
• 🇨🇩 They face a challenging group, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which could act as a spoiler.

Ivory Coast: Defending Champions with Ambitions

• 🇨🇮 The Ivory Coast, as defending champions, dreams of achieving an unprecedented consecutive win.
• ✂️ Coach Emé has revamped the squad, notably leaving out experienced player Nicolai Pepe and last tournament's best young player, Simon Adingra.

Egypt: A Legacy Team Facing Challenges

• 🇪🇬 Despite being seven-time champions, a continental record, Egypt has not won the tournament since 2010.
• 📉 Their star player, Mohamed Salah, is reportedly not in peak form and playing less for Liverpool.