The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was never designed for the faint-hearted. From the opening whistle to the final seconds of the championship match, the tournament unfolded as a relentless exhibition of intensity, tactical discipline and elite athleticism.

According to statistics released by CAFOnline, AFCON 2025 was a competition defined by fine margins, unyielding duels and performances that underlined the growing maturity of African football on the global stage.

At the summit stood Senegal, crowned champions after a campaign marked by authority and control. The Teranga Lions blended efficiency with resilience, navigating the tournament with a champion’s composure.

Morocco, beaten finalists, reinforced their status as one of Africa’s most consistent and tactically refined sides, while Nigeria, finishing third, emerged as the competition’s most explosive attacking force, dominating several statistical categories.

Together, the trio shaped a demanding and densely contested tournament whose numbers tell a deeper story of a continent’s football evolution.

The Podium

• Champions: Senegal
• Runners-up: Morocco
• Third Place: Nigeria

Individual Brilliance

AFCON 2025 was illuminated by individual excellence. Senegal’s talisman Sadio Mané was named Player of the Tournament, reflecting his decisive influence throughout the competition. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz finished as Top Scorer with five goals, while compatriot Yassine Bounou claimed Best Goalkeeper honours after keeping five clean sheets.

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman stood out creatively, topping the assist charts with four assists to earn the Best Playmaker award. Morocco’s exemplary conduct across the tournament was recognised with the Fair Play Award.

Team Performance Highlights as Nigeria enter limelight

The tournament produced a total of 121 goals, underlining its attacking tempo. Nigeria led the scoring charts with 14 goals, while also recording the highest average possession at 66 per cent and achieving the longest winning streak, five consecutive victories.

Senegal dominated in ball circulation, completing 3,562 passes, winning the most corners (44), and sharing the highest number of clean sheets (five) with Morocco. Morocco and Senegal also led in attacking intent, each registering 108 shots.

Defensively, Morocco, Comoros, DR Congo and Senegal conceded only two goals each, while Mozambique endured the toughest campaign at the back, conceding nine goals. Egypt topped the offside chart with 15 infringements, and Morocco and Mali converted the most penalties, three apiece.

Discipline and Fair Play

Discipline was tightly managed across the competition. A total of 210 yellow cards and nine red cards were shown. Senegal emerged as the most sanctioned team, collecting 17 yellow cards and one red.

Attendance and Atmosphere

The tournament’s biggest crowd gathered at Stade Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, where 66,526 spectators witnessed the heavyweight clash between Senegal and Morocco—an encounter befitting the competition’s highest standards.

As reflected in the data published by CAFOnline, AFCON 2025 was not merely a contest for silverware. It was a statement of Africa’s footballing evolution; tactically sharper, physically demanding and increasingly uncompromising. The numbers confirm it: African football is moving forward, and it is doing so at full speed.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Pressure is mounting on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take decisive action following what many observers have described as a bizarre and deeply controversial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Senegal and hosts Morocco on Sunday.

While Senegal emerged as champions on the pitch, the aftermath of the final has been dominated by debate, outrage and sharply divided opinions—particularly in sections of the British media—over the conduct of the match, the behaviour of key actors, and the wider implications for African football.

One of the strongest reactions came from Jeremy Cross, a columnist with the UK’s Daily Star, who called for unprecedented sanctions in a scathing post-final commentary.

“Senegal must be made to forfeit the AFCON trophy to Morocco, and Pape Thiaw should receive a lifetime ban,” Cross wrote, arguing that CAF must act “for the sake of football’s respect and reputation.” In his column, Cross insisted that stripping Senegal of the title and awarding it to Morocco would send a clear message that misconduct at the highest level of the game would not be tolerated.

The call has added to growing external pressure on CAF, which is already reviewing reports from match officials and its disciplinary bodies following incidents that overshadowed what should have been a celebration of African football’s flagship event.

However, not all British voices have aligned with the punitive narrative. Renowned UK sports journalist Darren Lewis offered a sharply contrasting perspective, warning against what he described as a familiar and unfair framing of African football.

“We need to stop pushing the lazy narrative that what happened at the AFCON final is somehow a stain on all of African football,” Lewis argued.

Drawing comparisons with major incidents in European football, Lewis highlighted what he sees as a troubling double standard. He pointed to the violence and vandalism by England fans at Wembley after the Euro 2020 final, which was not portrayed as a failure of European football. He referenced the Calciopoli scandal in Italy, which exposed systemic corruption and led to Juventus’ relegation, yet did not delegitimise European club football as a whole. He also recalled Sheffield United walking off the pitch under Steve Bruce during an FA Cup tie against Arsenal—an episode never used to indict English football’s credibility.

“Same game. Same problems. Different judgment,” Lewis said. “AFCON isn’t the problem. The bias is.”

His intervention has resonated with many African football stakeholders who argue that while Sunday’s final raised legitimate concerns that CAF must address, it should not be weaponised to undermine the tournament or African football as a whole.

Within Africa, the focus remains firmly on CAF’s response. Observers expect the continental body to demonstrate firmness and transparency, whether through disciplinary measures, procedural reforms, or public clarification, to protect the integrity of its competitions. At the same time, there is growing insistence that accountability must be balanced with fairness, and that African football should not be held to harsher standards than its European counterparts.

As CAF deliberates, the AFCON final continues to reverberate beyond the trophy presentation. What was meant to be a showcase of African excellence has become a flashpoint in a wider debate about governance, perception and respect. How CAF responds may not only determine the fate of the final itself, but also shape how African football asserts its credibility on the global stage

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

As the lights dimmed on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Goldberg Lager Beer also drew the curtain on its AFCON journey not with disappointment, but with pride, gratitude and a strengthened belief in the future of Nigerian football.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles ended their campaign on the podium, claiming the bronze medal after edging Egypt on penalties in the third-place match. It was Nigeria’s ninth third-place finish at the AFCON finals. It is a record that further underlines the country’s reputation as the most consistent team in the history of the competition, with more podium appearances than any other African nation.

The ultimate target was a fourth continental crown, but that remained just out of reach. But for Goldberg, AFCON 2025 was never a story defined solely by silverware. It was a narrative of character, resilience and the enduring relationship between the national team and its vast, passionate support base.

Football, culture and a shared rhythm

Driven by its “Our Beat, Our Gold” campaign, Goldberg Lager Beer followed the Super Eagles throughout the tournament, turning AFCON 2025 into a shared national experience. Across Nigeria, viewing centres and cultural activations transformed match days into communal festivals of colour, sound and emotion. Beyond the country’s borders, fan-engagement activities in Moroccan host cities ensured that Nigeria’s green-and-white presence travelled with the team.

The Nigerian Breweries team, led by Head of Marketing Communications, Sandra Amachree, and Senior Brand Manager, Goldberg Lager Beer, Kunle Aroyehun, pose with brand influencers Broda Shaggi, Shaffy Bello and others during one of Goldberg’s numerous fan-engagement activities at the recently concluded AFCON 2025 in Rabat, Morocco.

On the pitch, the Super Eagles matched that energy with an expressive and confident brand of football. Nigeria finished as the tournament’s most prolific attacking side, scoring 14 goals—more than any other team. They created the highest number of clear chances (27), dominated possession with an average of 66 per cent, and recorded the longest winning run of the competition with five consecutive victories.

To Goldberg, those numbers spoke to something deeper than results alone: belief, progress and intent.

Beyond the scoreboard

Reflecting on the campaign, Laolu Babalola, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager Brands at Nigerian Breweries Plc, said AFCON 2025 was about more than wins and losses.

“We set out believing in gold, and while the final prize did not come, the journey mattered,” Babalola said. “The Super Eagles played with confidence and purpose, and the fans responded with passion and loyalty. That connection is what this campaign was built around.”

Kunle Aroyehun, Senior Brand Manager, Goldberg, described the close of the tournament not as an ending, but as a moment of reflection.

“Our Beat, Our Gold was about how Nigerian’s experience football together,” he said. “From the first match to the last, the fans showed up with energy, belief and pride. The bronze medal adds to Nigeria’s rich AFCON history, but more importantly, it highlighted the strength of our football culture.”

Aroyehun reaffirmed Goldberg’s long-term commitment to the game and its supporters. “This campaign may be ending, but the rhythm continues. As long as Nigerians are watching football, debating, celebrating and believing, Goldberg will continue to stand with them.”

As AFCON 2025 slips into memory, Goldberg insists that what truly endures are the shared moments—the cheers, the drums, the conversations and the collective belief. In the final analysis, that spirit, the brand maintains, remains the real gold.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H