And then there were two. After a month of thrilling African football in the greatest international competition on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations or the AFCON will stage the much anticipated final of the 2025-26 edition at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat on 19 January 2026. The showpiece will be contested by two modern giants of African football and one-time champions, the 2021 winners Senegal and 1976 triumphing host Morocco in an epic showdown. Topping it off, this will be the first meeting between the sides in the competition history with a victory making it the most memorable occasion.
Senegal vs Morocco Match Details
Date: Sunday, 18 January 2026/ Monday, 19 January 2026
Kick-off Time: 19:00 (GMT), 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat
Senegal vs Morocco Match Preview
Just like their 2021 AFCON final and the previous World Cup qualifiers, Senegal again edged over Egypt to qualify for a third final in the competition in the last four editions. Dominating the game for the entirety, the Lions of Teranga finally got their breakthrough past a stubborn Egypt with their star man Sadio Mane firing in a 78th minute strike to claim a 1-0 win in the semifinal tie. There was some fortune in the winning goal as a blocked Pape Sarr's effort fell kindly for the Senegalese superstar to score the volley with ease but Senegal is appearing in the 2025-26 AFCON final not by any luck but sheer dominance. Managed by former player, Pape Thiaw topped their group with relative ease, claiming a 3-1 victory over Sudan and two 1-0 victories over Mali and Egypt to reach this stage of the competition. 12 goals scored and conceding twice makes them one of the most balanced sides in the contest. Senegal has also not tasted defeat in 27 competitive fixtures and has kept 18 clean sheets in 27 AFCON games over the last five editions, making them a feared opposition by a mile. The side only lost to Brazil since August 2025, claiming 12 wins in that period. However, the magnitude of the affair will be totally different on Sunday and they would face a team equally if not better composed like them.
Morocco
Not even the revived high flying free scoring Nigeria were able to break Morocco's unparalleled unbeaten streak at home as the host made their place in the AFCON 2025-26 final, winning a nervy penalty shootout against the Super Eagles in the semifinals. The Atlas Lions carry a huge pre-tournament expectation of winning the AFCON, hosted on their own soil, to really reward themselves with the stunning development they have gone through in the last few years. They are now just one step away from fulfilling so confirming their name in the showpiece final on Sunday. Despite Nigeria locking them in 120 minutes in that hostile atmosphere that caused other defenses to creak, they could do nothing about Yassine Bounou's heroics as he saved crucial penalties helping his side win 4-2 on penalties. The 1976 AFCON winners are in their first final since 2004 when they lost to Tunisia but they cannot afford to endure defeat again with so much expectations riding on them and the kind of work they want to put in. The Atlas Lions has been near perfect in this tournament, staying unbeaten in the entire edition and also in the last 23 matches overall. Stunningly, they haven't conceded a single goal from open play while putting nine goals on the other side demonstrating their dominance.
Senegal vs Morocco Players to watch out for
Sadio Mane
With his semifinal winner against Egypt, Sadio Mane has become the first player to reach 20 goal involvement at AFCON with 11 goals and nine assists. Five of those contributions came in this edition with two strikes and three assists, showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 33. This probably is Al Nassr man's last AFCON as the next one is in 2027 or surely the last for him to hit such numbers with the winger eyeing a second prize with Senegal. Although he did not make any goal contribution in the 2021 final, the former Liverpool player wants to make the cut this time to close out a superb campaign individually irrespective of the result on Sunday. However, Mane won't contain anything other than the AFCON title as he looks to be the first player to breach Morocco's defence from open play.
Brahim Diaz
A player who is hitting Mane's figure in the same tournament but at the age of 26 is Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz. The winger already became the first Moroccan to score in five consecutive games in the AFCON and while he failed to find the back of the net against Nigeria in the last four, another strike with a remarkable performance in the final could give him legendary status in his nation. Diaz has turned out to be the next revolution out of Moroccan football and this tournament is making something special out of him. Leading the Golden Boot chart as well, the Manchester City academy graduate will be hungry for more. He along with the superstar right-back Achraf Hakimi are hoping to own the right flank to land the prize they have been so determined to win. It is also a fascinating battle between him and Mane in the showpiece to see who becomes the ultimate difference maker.
Senegal vs Morocco Team News
Both teams will set up in a 4-3-3 formation being the two best possession dominating teams in the league. However, Senegal will be more disrupted between the two with start center-back Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Habib Diarra suspended for the final due to accumulating too many yellow cards. The former would have been absent from the showpiece anyway after picking up an injury in the semifinal. They will be replaced by Mamadou Sarr and Lamine Camara respectively who have big shoes to fill in a showpiece final.
Morocco has no suspension issues or any further injury problems after losing out midfielder Azzedine Ounahi for the entire tournament after suffered a calf injury in training after the final group game against Zambia. Although the team is still scrambling for a clinical and consistent number nine, Ayoub El Kaabi will continue to lead the line having scored three times in the tournament. However, he has yet to find the back of the net in the knockout stage.
Senegal vs Morocco Match Prediction
Senegal 1-2 Morocco (AET)
The two best teams in the competition are colliding with each other and the winner depends whose defense holds firm in front of each other's deadly attacks. While both teams have scored a plenty, Senegal scoring 12 and the host just three behind, they have been solid defensively as well with Lions of Teranga conceding twice and Morocco just once, none from open play. However, the ex factor that has led the Atlas Lions to this stage is of course their vibrant 12th man support that is expected to pack the final venue in numbers that could break records. No other side has been able to cope up with the hostile atmosphere and Senegal to make an exemption will require a performance that they haven't shown before to silence the crowd. While Pape Thiaw's men have more experience in being in an AFCON final, Morocco is unwilling to botch their staggering home record so easily even though pressure will be huge on them as well. Senegal might push it to another final decider on penalties with Morocco requiring a shootout for consecutive times in this tournament. However, looking at both's scoring record the showpiece might be decided in 120 minutes at max with Morocco getting their much desired honor.
