AFCON 2025: Lions of Teranga or Atlas Lions to Roar Loudest in Rabat?

by Bradley Gibbs

image AFCON 2025: Lions of Teranga or Atlas Lions to Roar Loudest in Rabat?
Then there were two. We’ve reached the final of the latest edition of the African Cup of Nations. On Sunday, Senegal and Morocco will meet in Rabat. Who comes out on top?

Senegal vs Morocco key details 

The tournament will be decided on Sunday, January 19th, when Senegal and Morocco will battle it out in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. Interestingly, the Moroccans have played each of their six AFCON games at Sunday’s venue. Does that give them the upper hand? 

For Senegal, this will be their first game in the capital of Rabat, as well as their first game at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah. Each of their previous six tournament games was played at Stade Ibn Batouta in the city of Tanger. Can they adapt to new surroundings? 

Senegal vs Morocco key details: 

  • Date: Sunday, January 18th

  • Kick off time: 14:00 EST 

  • Venue: Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah (Rabat) 

  • Where to watch: beIN Sports USA

How did the teams get here? 

Many people fancied Senegal to do well at this tournament, and if you’re one of those who expected them to go deep, you weren’t wrong. Thanks to some super strong offensive play, the Lions of Teranga made getting through the groups look easy, while they’ve not exactly looked under pressure in the knockouts either, dominating massively against Sudan and Mali, before making their extra final-third quality pay against Egypt in the semis. 

Many people, including myself, expected the Moroccans to put up a huge fight for the title on home soil, and they’ve not disappointed. The Atlas Lions were easily the best team in Group A, while they were much more comfortable during the Round of 16, than their 1-0 win over Tanzania suggested. They left the Cameroonians behind with a clinical display in the quarters, while despite failing to score against Nigeria, they never really looked like exiting at the semi-final stage. 

Senegal’s superior AFCON history to prove key? 

Senegal

Ahead of the semi-finals, I touched on the fact that the Moroccans have typically struggled to deliver the goods on the AFCON stage over the years. Their one and only success at this tournament came all the way back in 1976, and it’s not as if they’ve often come close in the years that have followed, reaching the final just once, doing so back in 2004. 

A lack of AFCON success didn’t stop the Atlas Lions from getting the job done against the Nigerians, but will it play on the minds of the hosts on Sunday? 

Unlike the hosts, the Lions of Teranga know all about getting over the line at the African Cup of Nations in recent years. The men from Senegal won this tournament back in 2021, while they also reached the final in 2019. Could this extra level of AFCON success prove to be key on Sunday? Personally, I’m not sure. The Moroccans looked determined to deliver the trophy to what has been a fantastic level of home support last time out, and clearly, they’ve got the quality to do just that. 

Of course, if Pape Thiaw’s men were to down the hosts, then it wouldn’t exactly be a huge upset. They too have some hugely capable players, several of whom have tasted AFCON success before. Whatever happens, I’m sure everyone can agree that we’ve got the correct final. The two best teams in the tournament will battle it out, and we can’t really ask for more, though given my pre-tournament betting support for the hosts, I am asking that they now claim the trophy!