By Kunle Solaja.

The curtain rises today on the 35th Africa Cup of Nations as hosts Morocco take on Comoros in the opening match of Africa’s biggest football spectacle.

The tournament, holding in Morocco for the second time, begins amid continental excitement and global attention, with the hosts aiming to convert years of heavy investment and recent global success into a long-awaited AFCON title on home soil.

A Nation Ready for the Moment

Kick-off at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat marks more than the start of a competition — it signals Morocco’s return to centre stage as a major football nation.

Becoming the first African and Arab country to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions arrive as one of the tournament favourites, carrying the hopes of a passionate home crowd.

Under coach Walid Regragui, Morocco boast a balanced squad blending European-honed stars with homegrown talent shaped by long-term structural planning. For the hosts, today’s opener is about setting the tone — asserting authority early while managing the pressure that comes with expectation.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions enter the contest as Africa’s top-ranked side, sitting 11th in the FIFA world rankings, the highest-placed nation on the continent. The Comoros, by contrast, are ranked 108th, but their recent AFCON appearances have shown they are no longer mere spectators on the big stage.

Standing in Morocco’s path are Comoros, a team that has rapidly grown in confidence and continental relevance.

Once considered minnows, the island nation has become known for discipline, resilience and the ability to frustrate bigger opponents. Their very presence in the opening match underscores AFCON’s expanding competitiveness.

For Comoros, the clash represents an opportunity to shock Africa, silence a packed stadium and announce themselves once again as fearless disruptors.

The two nations have met four times previously, with Morocco holding the clear edge — three wins and one draw. Their first encounters came during the 2019 AFCON qualifying campaign, when they were drawn together in Group C.

In the first meeting, played in Morocco on 13 October 2018, the Atlas Lions edged a tight contest 1–0. The return fixture just three days later, on 16 October 2018 in Comoros, ended in a 2–2 draw, a result that underlined the islanders’ growing competitiveness. Morocco eventually topped the group, qualifying for Egypt 2019 alongside Cameroon.

The sides also crossed paths at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, meeting in the group stage in Yaoundé on 14 January 2022. On that occasion, Morocco recorded a 2–0 victory, with Selim Amallah opening the scoring in the 16th minute before Zakaria Aboukhlal sealed the result late on.

Beyond the Opening Match

The opening ceremony and match launch a month-long football festival spanning multiple Moroccan cities, with millions of fans expected to follow the action across Africa and beyond. From upgraded stadiums and airports to a carnival-like atmosphere already visible across the country, Morocco has rolled out the red carpet for the continent.

As the first whistle blows tonight, the message will be clear: Africa Cup of Nations 2025 has begun — and the road to continental glory starts now, under the lights of Rabat.

Today’s opener offers Morocco a chance to extend that dominance and make a strong statement as tournament hosts, buoyed by home support and expectations shaped by their recent global success. For Comoros, it is another opportunity to challenge the hierarchy, frustrate a heavyweight opponent and remind Africa that rankings do not always tell the full story.

As the opening ceremony gives way to kick-off at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the 35th AFCON begins with a familiar pairing — and the promise of new chapters in a rivalry that has already delivered drama, resilience and moments of surprise.

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Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala has been appointed to officiate the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on Saturday.

Ndala was named by the CAF Referees Committee to take charge of the tournament’s curtain-raiser between the hosts Morocco national football team, and the Comoros national football team. The match is scheduled for Sunday, December 21, with kick-off set for 8:00 p.m. local time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The experienced Congolese official, who has handled several high-profile continental fixtures in recent years, will be supported by an international refereeing team selected by CAF for the opening game of the tournament.

CAF also confirmed that video assistant refereeing duties for the match will be handled by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida, one of Africa’s most respected VAR officials.

The Morocco–Comoros encounter will officially signal the start of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, with the hosts aiming to begin their campaign strongly in front of a packed home crowd in Rabat.

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The Africa Cup of Nations will be played every four years from 2028, following a landmark decision announced on Saturday by Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Motsepe announced during a press conference at the Moulay Abdellah Complex, describing the move as a strategic step aimed at better aligning African football with FIFA’s international calendar and competition windows.

Under the new arrangement, the tournament will shift from its traditional biennial format to a four-year cycle beginning with the 2028 edition.

With this, the Africa Cup of Nations will now be played in even-numbered years and will also be held in the same year as the Olympic Games.

The Africa Cup of Nations began as an odd-numbered year competition in 1957 and was held for the first time in an even-numbered year in 1962 before taking a definitive even-numbered year format at the 1968 edition.

That ran till the 2012 edition, when an odd-numbered year was adopted from 2013. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will still go ahead as planned. That tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and will be staged in the summer, as previously announced.

Motsepe explained that the revised cycle is designed to ease pressure on players, clubs and national teams, while allowing CAF competitions to fit more smoothly into the global football ecosystem.

In addition to the calendar reform, the CAF president revealed a substantial increase in prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The total prize money for the tournament has been raised from USD 7 million to USD 10 million, with the increase taking effect immediately, starting from the edition that kicks off this Sunday in Morocco.

CAF’s major club competitions will also benefit from enhanced financial rewards. Motsepe confirmed that prize money for both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup will be increased, although specific figures will be announced after the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.

The announcements mark one of the most significant structural and financial shifts in African football in recent decades, as CAF seeks to modernise its competitions and strengthen its global standing.

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