AFCON
Facts & Figures Ahead Afcon Qualifiers Matchday 5
The Matchday 5 of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, qualifiers will be played from Wednesday to Saturday across the continent.
Below are the match facts:
WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Namibia vs Cameroon
● Namibia extended their losing run to five games in AFCON qualifying with a 3-1 defeat against Zimbabwe last time out, with their last victory in this competition coming against today’s opponents Cameroon in March 2023 (2-1).
● Cameroon are unbeaten in five AFCON qualifiers (W4 D1), winning each of their last two – they’ll be looking to win three in a row for the first time since November 2020.
● Cameroon have made just two changes to their starting lineup across the first four matchdays of AFCON 2025 qualifying, fewer than any other team, with opponents Namibia making four times as many as the indomitable lions (8).
Liberia – Togo
● Liberia are winless in five AFCON qualifying matches (D2 L3), losing each of their last three. In fact. They’ve only won one of their last 11 such matches (2-0 against Djibouti in the preliminary round in March).
● Togo have lost their last two AFCON qualifiers, they haven’t lost three in a row since November 2019.
● No team have lost more points from winning positions than Togo (5) in AFCON 2025 qualifying.
Chad – Sierra Leone
● Chad have only won two of their last 14 AFCON qualifying matches (defeating Mauritius in both legs of the preliminary round in March, D4 L8), while they last won an AFCON qualifier in the main rounds in May 2014 (3-1 against Malawi).
● Sierra Leone beat reigning AFCON Champions Côte d’Ivoire last time out, thanks to Amadou Bakayoko’s 85th minute header, the Leone Stars last won consecutive AFCON qualifying matches in July 2014.
● Chad are the only team yet to score in AFCON 2025 qualifying, they’ve had 31 shots in total so far, with just seven on target – a shooting accuracy of just 23%.
THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Madagascar – Tunisia
● Madagascar remain winless in 14 AFCON qualifying matches (D7 L7), since a 6-2 victory against Niger in November 2019.
● Having won their first two AFCON 2025 qualifiers, Tunisia have failed to win their last two games (D1 L1), they’ve not gone three consecutive AFCON qualifying matches without winning on record (since at least 2006).
● Tunisia have played 166 passes into the box in AFCON 2025 qualifying, at least 14 more than any other team, with all four of their goals so far coming from inside the box.
Burundi – Malawi
● Burundi have lost their last three qualifying matches for AFCON, only winning two of their last 10 such games (D2 L6).
● Malawi are one of three teams to lose their first four AFCON 2025 qualifiers, while the Flames are winless in their last nine AFCON qualifying matches, since a 2-1 victory against Ethiopia in June 2022.
● Burundi have conceded six goals via set-pieces in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far (2 pens, 3 from corners and one direct free-kick), more than any other team, while their three conceded via corners is also the most.
Benin – Nigeria
● Benin have lost their last three AFCON qualifiers against Nigeria, failing to score in their last two.
● Excluding their awarded match against Libya in matchday four, Nigeria are unbeaten in each of their last six AFCON qualifiers, winning five and keeping five clean sheets.
● Ademola Lookman has scored two of Nigeria’s four goals in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far, while for club and country this season he’s netted 10 goals in 16 matches in all competitions.
Rwanda – Libya
● Rwanda earned their first victory in 11 AFCON qualifiers last tie out against Benin (2-1), they haven’t won back-to-back matches in AFCON qualifying since June 2015.
● Libya are winless in their eight AFCON qualifying matches ( D2 L6, excluding the game awarded to Nigeria in MD4), failing to score in five of these matches and never scoring more than once in the others.
● Libya are averaging less than six shots per game (5.7) in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far, fewer than any other team.
Lesotho – Central African Republic
● Lesotho are winless in their last 10 AFCON qualifiers (D2 L8) since a 3-1 victory against the Seychelles in March 2022, failing to score in eight matches in this run.
● Central African Republic have lost five of their last six AFCON qualifiers (W1), failing to score in their last three.
● Sera Motebang is Lesotho’s only goalscorer in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far, he’s had more shots on target (4) than the rest of his teammates combined (3).
Equatorial Guinea – Algeria
● Having won their last two games in AFCON 2025 qualifying, Equatorial Guinea could win three consecutive matches in each of their last three qualifying campaigns for the Africa Cup of Nations.
● Algeria are one of five teams with a 100% win rate in AFCON 2025 qualifying; they’re unbeaten in qualifying for the AFCON in 18 matches (W14 D4), since a 1-0 defeat to Benin in October 2018.
● Only Morocco have scored more goals (14), more goals from open play (10) and more penalties (4) than Algeria (11 goals, 9 from open play, 2 penalties) in AFCON 2025 qualifying.
Niger – Sudan
● Niger are without a win in 13 AFCON qualifying matches (D4 L9) since a 1-0 victory against Ethiopia in November 2020, failing to score in nine of these games.
● Sudan’s goal keeper; Mohamed Mustafa has saved all 12 shots on target he’s faced in AFCON 2025 qualifying, the best 100% save percentage in the competition so far.
● The average age of Sudan’s starting XI in these African 2025 qualifiers is 29yrs 248d, the oldest in the competition so far, while opponents Niger have the second-youngest (24yrs 259d).
South Sudan – Congo
● South Sudan have lost four consecutive AFCON qualifiers for the first time since March 2019 (a run of 6), while they’re winless in each of their last nine (D2 L7).
● Congo have only won one of their last six AFCON qualifiers (D2 L3), a 1-0 victory against today’s opponents South Sudan in MD1 in September, only scoring once across their three matches since (D1 L2).
● Only Morocco (18) have made more changes to their starting XI across the first four matchdays of AFCON 2025 qualifying than South Sudan (17), while no team have used more players than the Bright Stars (28).
Burkina Faso – Senegal
● Senegal are unbeaten in their last six matches against Burkina Faso in all competitions (W2 D4), with both teams scoring in five of these matches.
● Senegal have had the most shots in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far (76), although they’ve only scored from 9.2% of their attempts (7/76), with 20 teams currently having a better shot conversion rate in the competition.
● Burkina Faso have scored four headed goals in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far, twice as many as any other team, with all four goals being scored by different players (Lassina Traoré, Dango Outtara, Issoufou Dayo and Mohamed Konaté).
FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Gambia – Comoros
● Gambia have only lost one of their last seven AFCON qualifiers (W3 D3), scoring at least once in each game.
● Comoros are unbeaten in their last six AFCON qualifying matches (W2 D4), scoring exactly once in each game.
● Yankuba Minteh has been directly involved in three of Gambia’s four goals in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far (1 goal, 2 assists), while only Mozambique’s Geny Catamo (13) has completed more dribbles than the Gambian (12) in the competition.
Gabon – Morocco
● Since losing to Morocco (4-1) on matchday one, Gabon are unbeaten in their last three AFCON qualifiers (W2 D1), their longest such run without defeat since November 2020 (4 games, W2 D2)
● Morocco have scored the most goals (14) in the competition so far, while they have also outperformed their expected goals tally by more than four goals, the biggest such difference across the first four matchdays (14 goals, 9.9 xG).
● Gabon’s Dénis Bouanga had had the most shots (23) and shots on target (10) of any player so far in AFCON 2025 qualifying, although he’s yet to score a goal in the competition. Indeed, he’s been involved in more shot-ending sequences in open play (31) than any other player.
Cabo Verde – Egypt
● Cabo Verde have lost four of their last five AFCON qualifiers (W1), including a 3-0 defeat to Egypt in September.
● Egypt have won each of their last eight qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations by an aggregate score of 19-1 since a 0-2 defeat to Ethiopia in June 2022.
● Trézéguet has scored (3) or assisted (1) four of Egypt’s last seven goals in AFCON qualifying, scoring with all three of his shots on target in this qualifying campaign.
Botswana – Mauritania
● Mauritania have won each of their last three AFCON qualifiers against Botswana, all by a margin of a single goal (2x 1-0 and 1x 2-1).
● Botswana have won both of their last two AFCON qualifiers (both 1-0 v Cabo Verde), more than their previous 10 beforehand (W1 D1 L8).
● Mauritania have lost each of their last three AFCON qualifying matches without scoring, as many defeats as their previous 13 such qualifiers beforehand (W6 D4 L3).
Angola – Ghana
● Angola have won all four of their qualifying matches for AFCON 2025, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
● Only Chad (0) have scored fewer goals and have a lower shot conversion rate in 2025 AFCON qualifying heading into the November fixtures than Ghana, who have just one goal from 51 shots (2.0% conversion).
● Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus has the highest expected goals tally (3.34) in AFCON 2025 qualifying so far, despite not yet scoring in the competition, having had 16 attempts at goal and missing more big chances than any other player (6).
Zambia – Côte d’Ivoire
● Côte d’Ivoire have won three of their last four meetings with Zambia in all competitions, with the other a 3-0 AFCON qualifying loss in June 2023.
● Zambia have only lost one of their last nine AFCON qualifiers (W6 D2), keeping a clean sheet in four of their last seven, including both of their last two. That defeat, however, was to Côte d’Ivoire in September.
● Côte d’Ivoire’s Jean-Philippe Krasso has been directly involved in five goals in his last eight AFCON qualifier appearances (4 goals, 1 assist) despite only starting four of them.
Mozambique – Mali
● Mozambique have won four and lost none of their last six AFCON qualifiers (D2), more wins than their previous 15 such games beforehand (W3 D4 L8).
● Mali haven’t conceded more than one goal in any of their last 15 AFCON qualifiers (5 goals conceded, 10 clean sheets) since a 2-2 draw with Guinea in November 2019. They have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three such fixtures.
● Mozambique’s Bruno Langa has more assists (4) than any player in 2025 AFCON qualifying heading into the November fixtures, setting up over half of his nation’s goals this campaign (4/7).
Eswatini – Guinea-Bissau
● Eswatini have failed to score in seven of their last eight matches in AFCON qualifiers (ex. preliminary round), scoring only in a 1-1 draw with Mozambique in October.
● Guinea-Bissau are without a win any of their last three AFCON qualifiers (D1 L2), and could fail to score in three successive such games for the first time since November 2020.
● Only Chad (32.7%) and South Sudan (33.8%) have averaged a lower amount of possession in AFCON 2025 qualifying than Eswatini (35.1%).
Zimbabwe – Kenya
● Zimbabwe are unbeaten in their previous six AFCON qualifiers (W2 D2); they last enjoyed a longer such run in June 2016 (W3 D3).
● Kenya have lost each of their last two AFCON qualifiers; they last lost three in succession in March 2016.
● 50% of Zimbabwe’s goals scored in AFCON 2025 qualifying have come via penalties (2/4), the joint-highest such proportion for a side in qualifying.
Uganda – South Africa
● Uganda have won each of their last three AFCON qualifiers, one more than in their previous 10 such outings (D3 L5).
● South Africa are unbeaten in their previous seven AFCON qualifiers (W4 D3), while they’re scored in each of their last eight such games (18 goals).
● Only Mozambique’s Bruno Langa (4) has more assists in AFCON 2025 qualifying than both Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Oswin Appollis (both 3), with no player creating more chances than the South African in qualifying so far (12).
SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2024
Guinea – DR Congo
● Guinea are looking to win three successive AFCON qualifiers for the first time since March 2023, though they did lose 1-0 the last time they played DR Congo in September.
● DR Congo have won each of their last eight AFCON qualifiers, scoring 16 goals and conceding none; by comparison they had only won two of their prior eight such games (D3 L3).
● Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy is the top goal scorer in AFCON 2025 qualifying, netting five goals from just six shots, despite only playing in two matches so far.
Ethiopia – Tanzania
● Ethiopia are winless in their last eight AFCON qualifiers (D2 L6), losing their last three such games by an aggregate score of 1-9.
● Tanzania have lost each of their last two AFCON qualifiers, both to DR Congo without scoring; they’ve not lost three successive such games before on record (since at least 2006).
● Only Congo (-4.23) and Central African Republic (-3.68) have a lower negative differential between goals conceded and expected goals conceded in AFCON 2025 qualifying than Ethiopia (-2.85, 9 goals conceded and 6.15 expected goals against).
AFCON
Morocco Rejects Claims of Delay, Defends Legal Process in Case Involving Senegalese Supporters
Morocco’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has firmly rejected allegations of unjustified delays and poor detention conditions in the ongoing case involving Senegalese football supporters arrested after unrest linked to a recent continental fixture in Rabat.
In an official clarification, judicial authorities described circulating claims as “unfounded,” insisting that the legal proceedings have been conducted in accordance with Moroccan law and international standards.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office categorically denied any suggestion that the case has been deliberately delayed. Authorities stated that all procedural timelines have been respected and that adjournments were made strictly within the framework of due process.
According to the statement, postponements of hearings were granted at the request of the defendants themselves to allow adequate time to prepare their defence and to ensure the presence of their legal representatives.
Judicial officials also dismissed reports alleging that the detainees were on hunger strike. They confirmed that the accused are receiving their meals regularly and that detention conditions comply with applicable regulations.
“The rumours suggesting otherwise are without basis,” the statement noted.
Authorities explained that one of the hearings was attended by a lawyer registered with a Bar Association in France. However, the absence of a consultation office in Morocco, coupled with the defendants’ preference to be tried in the presence of their chosen lawyers, led to a postponement of the hearing until February 12, 2026.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasised that these postponements were legitimate and aimed at safeguarding the defendants’ right to a fair trial.
Translation and Language Support
In response to concerns about language barriers, the court confirmed that it provided a sworn French-language interpreter during proceedings. French is reportedly mastered by all defendants.
Additionally, authorities coordinated with the Deputy Consul of Senegal in Morocco to make available an interpreter in Wolof, the defendants’ mother tongue, further ensuring that they fully understood the proceedings.
Officials also clarified that Moroccan law does not require the presence of an interpreter during the preliminary investigation phase if the judicial police officer understands the language of the individual concerned, provided that official reports are read and explained to them.
The Moroccan authorities reiterated their commitment to transparency, due process and the protection of the rights of all foreign nationals within the kingdom.
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A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced 18 Senegalese football supporters to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months after finding them guilty of hooliganism during last month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
The supporters had been in pre-trial detention since 18 January, the day Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 in a tense and controversial final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
According to the court’s ruling, nine of the defendants received one-year prison sentences and were fined 5,000 Moroccan dirhams (approximately $545). Six others were handed six-month terms alongside fines of 2,000 dirhams (about $218), while three supporters were sentenced to three months in prison and fined 1,000 dirhams (around $109).
Prosecutors had sought a maximum penalty of two years, arguing that the accused “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match” and engaged in “acts of violence broadcast live on television.”
Chaos at the Final
The AFCON final was overshadowed by dramatic scenes late in regulation time following a contentious penalty awarded to Morocco after a VAR review. Senegalese players protested the decision vehemently, surrounding the referee and causing play to be halted for nearly 20 minutes.
Amid the tension, some Senegalese supporters reportedly attempted to invade the pitch, while others threw objects — including chairs — onto the field. Players from both sides temporarily left the pitch before returning after intervention from security officials and match authorities.
Authorities said their case was supported by stadium surveillance footage and medical reports detailing injuries sustained by security personnel during the unrest.
However, defence lawyers rejected the charges and described the sentences as excessive.
“The footage does not contain irrefutable proof showing that any one of them struck or assaulted anyone,” defence counsel Naima El Guellaf told the court.
Another lawyer, Patrick Kabou, called the verdict “incomprehensible,” arguing that his clients were “victims” rather than perpetrators. The defence team has confirmed plans to file an appeal.
The ruling comes as football authorities continue to grapple with the fallout from a final that, despite Senegal’s historic victory, was overshadowed by controversy both on and off the pitch.
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French coach Herve Renard has reopened the debate around the controversial “towel incident” that marred the closing stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
Renard, who previously coached Morocco and now manages the Saudi Arabia national football team, addressed the episode in a recent interview with Jeune Afrique, describing it as a complex issue rooted partly in African football culture.
“The towel story is long and complicated. It has a certain significance, that’s all,” Renard said. He suggested that, if anyone attempted to remove the towel, it could have been intended to unsettle the opponent psychologically.
“In Europe, people don’t understand that there is something behind it. Was the towel charmed? In Africa, these are beliefs, and everyone is free to believe what they want,” he added.
Renard stressed that cultural context is often overlooked by outsiders. “Those who don’t know Africa cannot understand. In this case, Moroccans would never allow anyone to cross that line,” he said, while admitting he was unsure whether events unfolded exactly as widely portrayed. Drawing from his extensive coaching experience across the continent, he noted that similar charged atmospheres are not uncommon in high-stakes African fixtures.
The incident occurred during the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final in Rabat, where Senegal defeated Morocco 1–0 to lift the continental crown.
Late in the match, attention shifted away from the ball to Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel, which had been placed inside his goal to dry his gloves amid wet conditions. As tensions rose in the closing minutes, substitute goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf attempted to safeguard the towel, resulting in a chaotic scene inside the penalty area.
Television footage — quickly dubbed a “towel tussle” — showed Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari blocking Diouf as he tried to return the towel to Mendy, while a ball boy also reached for it. Diouf later insisted he had merely been assisting Mendy and had no intention of disrupting play.
Images circulating after the match appeared to show Moroccan players attempting to remove the towel, sparking a heated debate. Some observers viewed it as gamesmanship designed to unsettle the Senegalese goalkeeper, while others linked the episode to longstanding superstitious beliefs within segments of African football culture.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee subsequently sanctioned Saibari with a two-match suspension and a $100,000 fine. The midfielder later apologised to Mendy, stating that his actions had been misunderstood.
CAF’s refereeing chief, Olivier Safari, also addressed the matter in an interview with Canal+ Afrique.
“The towel is not part of a goalkeeper’s official equipment. Its use must remain within the spirit of fair play,” Safari explained. “If it influences the match, it must be removed from the playing area.”
His comments underscored the regulatory grey area surrounding auxiliary items such as towels, which are not formally recognised as playing equipment under the Laws of the Game but are commonly used for practical reasons.
While the final result stands and Senegal’s victory remains uncontested, the towel episode has lingered in public discourse — not merely as a fleeting controversy, but as a symbol of the psychological and cultural layers that often accompany African football.
Renard’s remarks add nuance to the debate, suggesting that what may appear trivial to some can carry deeper meaning in different footballing contexts.
Nearly a year after Senegal’s triumph in Rabat, the “towel incident” continues to provoke reflection, less about fabric inside a goalmouth, and more about the intersection of belief, psychology and competition at the highest level of African football.
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