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.

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By Kunle Solaja, who was in Morocco

The Tunisian Football Federation (TFF) has formally congratulated Morocco on what it described as the outstanding organisational success of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, praising the host nation for setting new standards in the staging of major football events on the continent.

In a letter dated January 22, 2026, and addressed to the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, the TFF commended Morocco’s professionalism, infrastructure and hospitality throughout the tournament.

Signed by TFF President Moez Nasri and Vice-President in charge of relations with international bodies, Hussein Jenayah, the letter conveyed the appreciation of the Tunisian football family to their Moroccan counterparts.

The letter from the Tunisian Football Federation (TFF)

“The sisterly Kingdom of Morocco has once again demonstrated high professional capabilities and global standards in hosting major events, which honours both African and Arab football alike,” the federation stated.

The Tunisian FA also expressed gratitude for the warm reception and generous hospitality extended to the Tunisian delegation during the competition, noting that the level of care and comfort provided reflected the well-known generosity of the Moroccan people.

According to the TFF, the successful organisation of AFCON 2025 was the product of strategic vision and sustained investment in sports infrastructure, which it said has positioned Morocco as a benchmark host nation on the continent.

“This excellence in organisation reflects your wise vision and the massive efforts you have made to develop the sports infrastructure in your country, making this edition a shining milestone in the history of the continent,” the letter added.

The federation concluded by wishing Moroccan football continued success and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation and brotherly relations between the two national associations, in the interest of football development in both countries.

AFCON 2025, hosted across multiple Moroccan cities, has drawn widespread acclaim from participating teams, officials and observers, with Morocco’s organisational capacity now being cited as a reference point for future continental and global tournaments.

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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

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