AFCON 2025: Gabon vs Ivory Coast, where to watch, preview

Gabon and Ivory Coast meet this Wednesday in Marrakech for a high-stakes Group F finale, with the defending champions looking to secure top spot while the Panthers fight to keep their tournament dreams alive.

Ivory Coast enters the match following a dramatic 1-1 draw with Cameroon, a result that left them level on points with the Indomitable Lions at the summit of Group F.

For Gabon, the situation is critical; after a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Mozambique on Sunday, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s side sits at the bottom of the group with zero points, needing a win and a specific swing in goal difference to even hope for a best third-place qualification.

Match details: Time and Venue

The fixture is one of the final games of the group stage, taking place in Marrakech as the bracket for the Round of 16 is finalized.

• Date: Wednesday, 31 December 2025
• Kick-off: 19:00 GMT (20:00 local time)
• Venue: Grand Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech

AFCON 2025: Schedule, results and standings of the Africa Cup of Nations

Where to watch the game globally

Fans worldwide can catch the final group-stage action through the following broadcasters:

• UK: Channel 4 (Free-to-air) and the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.
• USA & Canada: beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español; streaming via Fubo and Fanatiz.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport (English/Portuguese) and Canal+ Afrique (French).
• North Africa & MENA: beIN SPORTS MENA.
• South Africa: SABC and the SABC+ app.
• Australia & NZ: beIN SPORTS CONNECT.

Team news

Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has a wealth of attacking options but may be without Sébastien Haller, who continues to struggle with a hamstring injury. However, Amad Diallo has emerged as the Elephants’ star of the tournament, scoring in the opening win against Mozambique and looking lively against Cameroon. Frank Kessié remains the heartbeat of the midfield, while Wilfried Zaha, recently recalled to the squad, could be handed a starting role to help break down a desperate Gabonese defense.

Unstoppable from Diallo. Definitely the @1xBet_Eng Goal of the Day! 😮‍💨⚽️#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/rcPC7KsscP

— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 28, 2025

Gabon’s Thierry Mouyouma welcomed back Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the second half of their opener, and the captain proved his worth by scoring twice in the narrow loss to Mozambique. He is expected to lead the line from the start on Wednesday. The Panthers are, however, sweating on the fitness of defender Teddy Avarlant, who was withdrawn early in the first match with an injury.

Battle for survival

The historical and statistical context of this match suggests a steep climb for the Gabonese side:

• Defending champion factor: Ivory Coast has not lost a group-stage game at the AFCON since 2017. They have shown incredible resilience, especially when leading, as seen in their opener.
• Aubameyang’s last stand: At 36, this could be the final AFCON appearance for the Gabonese legend. His brace against Mozambique took him to 33 international goals, but he has never won a competitive match against Ivory Coast in four attempts.
• Defensive woes: Gabon has conceded four goals in their first two matches (1-0 vs Cameroon, 3-2 vs Mozambique), a statistic that the clinical Ivorian frontline will be eager to exploit.

Coach Emerse Faé is focused on the group lead:

“We are satisfied with the point against Cameroon, but we are the champions and we want to win the group. We expect Gabon to be very aggressive because they have nothing to lose, but we have the quality and the experience to manage this kind of pressure.”