Story byWho are the favourites to win AFCON 2025?Football TodayThu, December 18, 2025 at 8:19 AM UTC·2 min readAs one of the continent’s most prestigious tournaments, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) brings together 24 teams to compete for the coveted trophy. Ivory Coast won the previous edition in February 2024 after beating Nigeria 2-1 in a dramatic final at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut Emerse Faé’s side face a huge challenge this year with several other top contenders also vying for the AFCON trophy. Below we have listed the top favourites to win the African tournament. MoroccoMorocco enters the competition as the undisputed favourites. They boast plenty of quality in their ranks and will also get to play in front of their passionate home crowd. The Atlas Lions made history at the 2022 World Cup as they became the first African and Arab country to reach the tournament’s semi-final. They are currently on an 18-game winning run after a perfect record in the CAF World Cup qualifying. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAshraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz are the star players who are expected to shine for Morocco. EgyptEgypt have not won the prestigious tournament since 2010, but they are one of the top contenders this year. They have a balanced squad that includes a mix of seasoned heads and rising talent. Mohamed Salah arrives as one of Africa’s most accomplished players, having won the Premier League and Champions League trophies with Liverpool. The seven-time AFCON winners also have Omar Marmoush, who joined Manchester City this year after impressing with his performances in Germany. SenegalSenegal won the 2021 edition of the tournament after defeating Egypt on penalties in a tense final. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Lions of Teranga will look to add another trophy this year in Morocco and their squad quality suggests they are quite capable of achieving this feat. They are packed with experience, having stars like Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Sadio Mane in their ranks. But at the same time, they have young players like Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye to add fresh energy and new options in attack. AlgeriaAlgeria won the 2019 AFCON trophy after beating Senegal 1-0 in the final. But their recent record in the tournament has been underwhelming, with the Fennecs suffering group-stage exits in both 2021 and 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere have been signs of improvement since, as Algeria comfortably qualified for the 2026 World Cup by winning eight of their 10 qualifiers. Forward Mohamed Amoura has emerged as a standout player for Vladimir Petković’s side, leading the qualifiers scoring chart with 10 goals.