Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Can Mohamed Salah finally lift the trophy as Morocco expects glory?

After intense debate over player availability and the timing of the tournament, the focus is starting to shift to the pitch as another mid-season edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) gets underway in Morocco on Sunday.

On the face of it, the two main talking points ahead of the 2025 finals are whether the host nation can continue their world record run of 18 straight wins and claim only a second title, and whether Mohamed Salah will finally lift the trophy with Egypt.

The 33-year-old’s future at Liverpool has dominated the headlines since his dramatic confirmation on December 6 that he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club.

After returning from the bench at Anfield last Saturday, Salah will now focus on his fifth attempt to win the continent’s biggest prize – especially after two previous finals defeats.

But focusing on just two topics would not do justice to a unique and unpredictable tournament.

Ivory Coast achieved remarkable success at home in February of last year, after its coach was dismissed during the group stage, while Senegal’s good level emerged after its victory over England in June.

Elsewhere, Nigeria are aiming for a better result than at the 2023 finals, but from the outside, fellow heavyweights Cameroon appear to be in disarray – with both countries looking to make amends after missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With seven different winners in the past eight editions, Morocco 2025 is sure to be an exciting match as the teams battle it out for a title that Benin assistant coach Tunde Adelekun has described as the “Holy Grail of African football”.

“It is very difficult to win the Africa Cup of Nations. People love us very much, but if it happens [you] Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Amrabat told the BBC: “The victory will never make you forget.”