Khaberni - After overcoming many challenges and obstacles during their journey which started nearly 4 weeks ago, the Moroccan and Senegalese teams aspire to climb to the throne of football in Africa when they meet tomorrow, Sunday, in the final match of the 2025 African Nations Cup.
Since the start of the tournament on December 21st (last December), both teams had planned to reach the final, which will be held at Moulay Abdallah Stadium in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, hoping to win the second title for each of them, but they had to play 6 matches to get to the seventh one which brings the decisive moment.
Both teams, who top the list of African national teams in the latest FIFA world rankings issued by FIFA last month, have deservedly reached the final, given the excellent level their players have shown throughout the stages of the competition.
Both teams aspire to match the number of titles held by the Algerian and the Democratic Republic of Congo teams, among the 15 teams that have won the championship.
The Moroccan team, which played all its matches at Moulay Abdallah Stadium, began its tournament, which it first won in 1976 in Ethiopia, by defeating Comoros 2-0 in the opening match, before drawing 1-1 with Mali in the second round, to then return to winning ways by beating Zambia 3-0 in the third (last) round, heading their group with 7 points.
The Moroccan team, ranked eighth globally in the latest FIFA rankings, barely overcame its Tanzanian counterpart in the round of 16, by winning 1-0.
In the quarter-finals, the team coached by Walid Regragui defeated the Cameroon team 2-0, marking Morocco's first victory over "The Indomitable Lions" in the African Nations Cup history.
Morocco's "Atlas Lions" secured their seat in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time after editions in 1976 and 2004, following their victory 4-2 against the Nigerian team in penalty shootouts, which were resorted to after both teams were tied with no goals in regular and extra time in the semi-finals.
Moroccan fans hold high hopes for Brahim Diaz, who played a heroic role in this competition, having scored 5 goals, leading the top scorers list for this edition, one goal ahead of his closest pursuers, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Nigerian Victor Osimhen.
On the other hand, the Senegalese team, ranked 19th globally and second among African national teams in the latest FIFA rankings, started their current campaign in the competition, which it first won in 2021 in Cameroon, by defeating the Botswana team 3-0, then drawing 1-1 in the second round in the group stage with the Democratic Republic of the Congo team.
"The Teranga Lions," who played all their matches in the city of Tangier, returned to their winning ways at the tournament, after defeating Benin 3-0, despite being short-handed due to the dismissal of their veteran defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who missed the final due to suspension for accumulating cards, and injury as well, leading their group with 7 points.
The Senegalese team managed to pass the Sudani team in the last 16, after they turned a goal deficit into a well-deserved 3-1 victory, to face the Mali team in the quarter-finals, winning 1-0, benefiting from the numerical shortage of the opposing team, which played with ten men after one of its players was sent off before the first half ended, in a controversial decision as well.
In the semi-finals, the team coached by Babacar Thiaw ended the ambitions of the Egyptian national team, winning 1-0, marking their fourth appearance in the African Nations Cup final, after editions in 2002, 2019, and 2021.
This is the first time that the Senegalese team faces a host nation in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and it is also their second final in North Africa after the 2019 edition in Egypt.
Although this match is the 32nd in the history of encounters between the two teams, which started in November 1968, it is their first meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations, currently in its 35th edition.
During the past 31 encounters, which took place both officially and in friendlies, the Moroccan national team clearly has the upper hand, with 18 wins compared to 7 victories for Senegal, while draws were settled in 6 matches.
