A glitzy opening ceremony will be held tonight when the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) gets underway, with hosts Morocco getting their campaign off against Comoros in Rabat tonight. The extravagant, swanky opening ceremony will start at 7:00pm with the match kicking of at 9:00pm (SA time).
In the Afcon, opening ceremonies have always favoured the host nations and with the home crowd in full voice, the North Africans are expected to romp home with all the three points at a canter. Hosting the tournament has heightened expectations, with head coach Walid Regragui, often criticised for his simplicity, knows that only a gold medal, will satisfy the hard to please Morocan people by lifting the trophy in Rabat on January 18 when the tournament concludes. Regragui has made a nice balance between experience and the youth in his team.
Drawn in Group A, Morocco, after Comoros, will face Mali and Zambia as they begin their quest for continental glory. Against minnows Comoros, Morocco is expected to start on a high. They have established themselves as Africa’s leading light, after they became the continent’s first country to reach the Fifa World Cup semifinals in Qatar in 2022.
Unlike the little-known Comoros players, Morocco has some of the best players in world football. Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain and one of the great stars of African football, will be crucial for the Atlas Lions’ aspirations at home. Hakimi is influential in the Moroccan squad and will be one of the biggest stars at the tournament. Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz and no-nonsense defender Nayef Aguerd, coupled with full-back Noussair Mazraoui, and youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir, will complete the Moroccan line-up.
According to the CAF website, since the inaugural edition in 1957, the most dramatic Afcon opener came in 2010, when Angola surrendered a four-goal lead in the final 11 minutes as Mali staged a remarkable comeback to draw 4–4 in Luanda.
There will be three matches tomorrow on Monday:
South Africa v Angola
Mali v Zambia
Egypt v Zimbabwe
