Seven-time winners Egypt begin their hunt for an eighth Africa Cup of Nations title this Monday as they face Zimbabwe in Agadir.
With the Pharaohs looking to banish the ghosts of their early exit in 2023, the pressure is on talisman Mohamed Salah to finally deliver the one major trophy that has eluded him in an illustrious career.
Match details: Time and Venue
The final match of the tournament’s opening “Super Monday” takes place at the Adrar Stadium, where a sell-out crowd is expected to witness the record-holders in action.
- Date: Monday, 22 December 2025
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT (21:00 local time)
- Venue: Adrar Stadium, Agadir
AFCON set for historic overhaul as CAF confirms four-year cycle
Team news: the Salah saga
All eyes are on the Egypt camp following a tumultuous week for captain Mohamed Salah. After reports of a rift with Liverpool boss Arne Slot, Salah was omitted from recent club squads but is expected to lead the Pharaohs tonight.
However, Egypt are not without injury concerns. Coach Hossam Hassan—himself a three-time winner as a player—must do without defender Mohamed Abdelmonem, who is sidelined with an ACL injury. There are also late fitness tests pending for midfielders Hamdi Fathi and Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed.
Zimbabwe arrive in Morocco dealing with a major blow of their own. Captain and Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi has been ruled out of the entire tournament with a knee injury. The Warriors will instead look to Luton Town’s Marvelous Nakamba to anchor a side that hasn’t progressed past the group stages in five previous attempts.
AFCON 2025. Nine arenas set to define the continental showpiece
Familiar opening act
This fixture is a repeat of the opening matches from both the 2004 and 2019 tournaments, with Egypt winning on both occasions. In fact, Zimbabwe have only ever beaten the Pharaohs once in their history—a 2-1 win during World Cup qualifying back in 1992.
Despite the stats, Zimbabwe head coach Mario Marinică is defiant:
“We are the underdogs, and that suits us. Egypt have the history, but history doesn’t play the 90 minutes. We have a plan to frustrate them.”
How to watch: Egypt vs Zimbabwe
British fans can follow the Pharaohs’ progress live as part of the tournament’s extensive free-to-air coverage.
- UK TV: Live on 4Seven
-
The match will be broadcast live on beIN Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, including beIN SPORTS 1 and beIN Sports Mena
-
New World TV, Canal+ CAN, and Canal+ Afrique’s 100% CAN
- Live Stream: Available via Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel and the All 4 app.
- Radio: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
AFCON 2025: Schedule, results and standings of the Africa Cup of Nations
Group B: The state of play
With South Africa and Angola playing earlier in the day, the landscape of Group B will already be taking shape by the time the Pharaohs take the pitch.
| Feature | Egypt | Zimbabwe |
| AFCON Titles | 7 | 0 |
| FIFA Ranking | 30 | 117 |
| Key Man | Mohamed Salah | Marvelous Nakamba |
| Last AFCON Meeting | Won 1-0 (2019) | Lost 0-1 (2019) |
