Participating in their first Africa Cup of Nations final since 2004, tournament hosts Morocco are just one victory away from ending the nation’s 50-year wait for another continental title.
However, standing in the way of the Atlas Lions at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday are a Senegal side appearing in their third final in the last four editions, and the Lions of Teranga are aiming for their second continental title following their AFCON 2021 triumph in Cameroon.
Roared on by a partisan home crowd in Rabat, Walid Regragui’s Morocco are one more triumph from continental immortality, with only Senegal left to overcome.
The tournament hosts began the continental showpiece carrying the weight of expectation of an entire nation, and they have slowly navigated their way after a slow start in Rabat, where supporters initially struggled to be engaged.
However, that has changed as the tournament has progressed, and, regardless of Sunday’s outcome, the Atlas Lions will not deny the partisan support they have enjoyed, especially in the knockout rounds.
That support was undeniable in a tense semi-final victory against Nigeria, whom the Atlas Lions defeated after benefitting from some questionable refereeing decisions for 120 minutes, before executing at a higher level in the resulting shootout to eliminate the West African giants.
Bono was the hero on the day to thwart Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi, improving his impressive record of saving penalties.
While the Al-Hilal shot-stopper has saved four of the seven spot-kicks faced in recent shootouts — two of three against Spain at the 2022 World Cup and two of four against Nigeria — the goalie also benefits from a watertight defence that have conceded one goal all tournament: a penalty against Mali.
Morocco have allowed just five shots on target in six games — two of which have emerged from shots inside their penalty area — keeping five shutouts en route to the title match on home turf, to highlight their defensive resoluteness.
It will, therefore, be interesting to see if Senegal find solutions to break down this solid Moroccan backline, as they bid to secure only their second African title.
The Lions of Teranga have scored in every round en route to advancing to the decider in Rabat, but so had AFCON 2025 top scorers Nigeria until they faced the Atlas Lions.
While Morocco’s backline have dominated headlines in the lead-up to the final, Pape Thiaw’s team have kept one fewer clean sheet than the host nation, underlining their sturdy steel, and they also possess one of the competition’s finer attacks.
That area of the pitch is led by Sadio Mane, who notched his 20th goal contribution at the finals since 2017 — fifth at the soon-to-conclude tournament — with Wednesday’s driven effort to seal Senegal’s 1-0 triumph over Egypt in a rematch of the AFCON 2021 final.
The Senegal forward’s 78th-minute goal was the most interesting bit of what was an uneventful semi-final in Tangier, where fans were spared from seeing an extra 30 minutes after the Pharaohs’ disappointing approach was a dampener on what could have been a promising last-four contest.
Morocco are not expected to be as passive and unimaginative as the seven-time African champions, but their defensive compactness should have prepared this Senegal side for another shot at continental glory.
Register on the best betting site, Secret Bet, using promo GOODIE to receive a bonus
Meanwhile, Senegal's story in the Africa Cup of Nations final has been built on patience and perseverance. Long regarded as charming outsiders, the Lions of Teranga had to wait through several attempts before finally etching their name onto the continental winners' list, after a journey marked by heartbreak at crucial moments.
Their first final dates back to 2002 in Mali. After a tightly contested match against Cameroon that ended goalless, Senegal fell short in the penalty shootout. Seventeen years later, in 2019, another chance arose in Egypt, but frustration struck again as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Algeria in a tense, hard-fought final.
Redemption finally arrived in 2021. Facing Egypt, Senegal clinched their maiden continental title after another 0-0 draw and a composed penalty shootout, unleashing joy across the nation. This Sunday, Senegal is back in the AFCON 2025 final, determined to turn their accumulated experience into a second star. Morocco at buoyed by a home crowd, Senegal banking on great form, this is a high stakes fixture. Kickoff : 2200 hours EAT
