Online Reporter
THE 2025 AFCON champions are set to be crowned on Sunday, and such has been the quality of the tournament that the new kings of African football will be reclaiming the crown for yet another term.
The four semi-finalists — Senegal, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria — have all won AFCON before, albeit on different occasions.
Senegal claimed their maiden title in 2021, while Egypt, who will face them in the first semi-final tonight (7pm kick-off) at the Tangier Grand Stadium, are chasing a record-extending eighth crown.
Interestingly, this will also be a repeat of the 2021 final, where the Teranga Lions edged the Pharaohs on penalties to win their maiden continental crown under son of the soil Aliou Cissé.
In addition, the clash between the Teranga Lions and the Pharaohs will not only see two sides with great squad depth go head-to-head, but will also reunite former teammates.
Sadio Mané of Senegal and Mohamed Salah of Egypt were teammates for many years at Liverpool, forming a for-midable partnership that helped the club win the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, among other trophies.
While Mané has since moved to Saudi Arabia, where he joined Al Nassr, Salah has remained at Anfield. He recently became Liverpool’s highest contributor for the club in a single spell after his goal contribution reached 277 just be-fore AFCON.
Salah joined Egypt for the tournament following a controversial few weeks at Liverpool, after reports emerged that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had deteriorated, with the club also accused of failing to honour promises made to him after signing a new contract in June.
However, Salah appears to have put his club issues behind him. He has been one of the standout performers at the tournament, scoring four goals and providing one assist in four matches so far.
With today’s clash set to pit him against his former teammate Mané, he would relish the opportunity to add to his tally with a goal or an assist.
Three-time AFCON champions Nigeria also have a tough task ahead as they face hosts Morocco, who lifted their maiden — and only — title in 1976.
Although their coronation dates back more than four decades, Morocco have been on an upward trajectory in re-cent years. They remain the only CAF nation to have reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, a feat they achieved at the last edition in Qatar.
The Atlas Lions will enjoy home advantage and the backing of their supporters tonight (10pm kick-off) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, but they will still need to respect the Super Eagles and perform at their best. — AFP Sport/iol.co.za
