AFCON 2025 kicks off as Nigeria, Africa’s best, renews rivalries on Dstv

The 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off on Sunday in Morocco, marking the start of three weeks of continental football rivalries at the continent’s biggest showpiece.

The opening match will see the hosts, Morocco, face the Comoros at 8:00 p.m. Monday’s fixtures continue the build-up, with Mali taking on Zambia at 3:00pm, South Africa meeting Angola at 6:00pm, and seven-time champions, Egypt, beginning their campaign against Zimbabwe in the late game at 9:00pm.

Tuesday is expected to draw major attention from Nigerian fans as the Super Eagles open their AFCON 2025 journey against Tanzania at 6:30pm. The day’s action begins earlier with DR Congo facing Benin at 1:30pm, followed by defending champions, Senegal, against Botswana at 4:00pm, before Tunisia and Uganda round off the night at 9:00pm.

Nigeria’s fixture stands out as a key early test, with supporters eager to see a confident start in a group widely viewed as favourable.

The first round concludes on Wednesday, December 24, with Burkina Faso facing Equatorial Guinea at 1:30pm, Algeria taking on Sudan at 4:00pm, Ivory Coast meeting Mozambique at 6:30pm, and Cameroon clashing with Gabon in the final fixture at 9:00pm.

Even before kick-off, AFCON 2025 has already produced familiar drama. Cameroon have been in the spotlight over issues surrounding squad selection, underlining once again that at AFCON, tension and controversy are never far away. There is also a notable absence this year, with Ghana failing to qualify for the tournament, leaving one of Africa’s traditional heavyweights watching from home and providing fresh fuel for football debates across the region.

All 52 matches of AFCON 2025 will be shown live on SuperSport via a dedicated AFCON pop-up channel, ensuring fans have uninterrupted access throughout the tournament. The SuperSport AFCON channel is available on DStv channel 202 and GOtv channel 59.