All roads lead to Rabat on Sunday, January 18, as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations reaches its dramatic conclusion at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Tournament hosts Morocco will lock horns with reigning champions Senegal in a heavyweight final that promises history, tension and fine margins.
Both nations arrive at the showdown chasing a landmark achievement. Each has lifted the AFCON trophy just once, and victory on Sunday will see either the Atlas Lions or the Teranga Lions earn a coveted second star on their national jersey.
For Senegal, this final marks their fourth appearance at Africa’s biggest stage. It will also be their third AFCON final against North African opposition. Their record in such encounters is evenly split: heartbreak against Algeria in 2019 followed by redemption two years later when they edged Egypt to finally claim their maiden continental crown in 2021.
AFCON 2025 final: Senegal vs Morocco – where to watch, preview, team news
AFCON finals have historically been tight, cagey affairs, and the numbers strongly back that trend. The most frequent winning scoreline in final history is 1-0, which has occurred eight times, while seven finals have ended goalless after normal time. Since 2002 alone, nine of the last 12 finals have finished either 1-0 or 0-0, underlining how little separates champions from runners-up on this stage.
Only three finals in that period have produced more than a single goal, all ending 2-1: Tunisia’s triumph in 2004, Cameroon’s victory in 2017 and Côte d’Ivoire’s success in 2023.
Extra time is no stranger to AFCON finals either. Of the 32 finals played so far, 12 have gone beyond 90 minutes. Just two of those were settled during extra time itself, Ethiopia’s win over Egypt in 1962 and Ghana’s victory against Tunisia in 1965. A unique chapter was written in 1974 when DR Congo and Zambia drew 2-2 after extra time in the original final, forcing a replay that DR Congo eventually won 2-0.
Penalty shootouts have played a decisive role in nine AFCON finals, beginning in 1982 when Ghana overcame Libya 7-6 after a 1-1 draw. Interestingly, since the 2-2 draw between Cameroon and Nigeria in the 2000 final, every AFCON final decided on penalties has finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
That list includes Cameroon versus Senegal in 2002, Egypt against Côte d’Ivoire in 2006, Zambia’s fairytale win over Côte d’Ivoire in 2012, Côte d’Ivoire versus Ghana in 2015, and Senegal’s tense victory over Egypt in 2021.
We played it different. We lived it different. ❤️
One more night. One champion. The #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 Final awaits. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BFR1SzpwOY
— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) January 17, 2026
While goals are often scarce, history also remembers one emphatic exception. The most dominant performance in an AFCON final remains Egypt’s crushing 4-0 win over Ethiopia in 1957, a record margin that has stood the test of time.
As Morocco and Senegal prepare to battle for continental supremacy, the statistics point to a familiar script: narrow margins, high stakes and possibly another night decided deep into extra time or even from the penalty spot.
