TotalEnergies CAF Men of the Match

December 23, 2025 – Rabat – Stade Olympique
Tunisia – Uganda
Elias Achouri – Attaquant -Tunisie

December 23, 2025 – Fez – Compexe Sportif de Fès
Nigeria -Tanzania
Semi Ajayi – Defender – Nigeria

December 23, 2025 – Tangiers – Grand Stade de Tanger

Senegal vs Botswana
Nicholas Jackson – Forward (Senegal)

December 23, 2025 – Rabat – Stade Al Madina

DR Congo vs Benin
Théo Bongonda – Midfielder (DR Congo)

December 22, 2025 – Agadir – Grand Stade d’Agadir

Egypt vs Zimbabwe
Omar Marmoush – Forward (Egypt)

Décembre 22, 2025 – Marrakesh – Grande Stade de Marrakech

South Africa vs Angola
Lyle Foster – Forward (South Africa)

December 22, 2025 – Casablanca – Mohammed V Stadium

Mali vs Zambia
Lassine Sinayoko – Forward (Mali)

December 21, 2025 – Rabat – Stade Moulay Abdellah

Morocco vs Comoros
Brahim Díaz – Forward (Morocco)

Determined Mozambique lays siege against inspired Côte d’Ivoire

The curtain rises for the reigning champions Côte d’Ivoire at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025, when they take on Mozambique at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Wednesday evening, writes CAFonline.

Les Elephants will look to set the tone for their title defense, but this comes up against a tough and determined Mambas side.

Lookman’s swift reply seals Nigeria win, Senegal cruise past Botswana, DR Congo edge Benin

• DR Congo secure narrow 1-0 win over Benin in Rabat
• Senegal cruise to 3-0 win against Botswana
• Nigeria recover from scare to beat Tanzania

Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Goalscorers : S. Ajayi 36′, A.Lookman / C. M’Bombwa 50′

Nigeria opened their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 campaign with a hard-earned 2–1 victory over Tanzania on Tuesday evening, as Ademola Lookman struck the winner barely a minute after the Taifa Stars had drawn level, reports CAFonline.

The Super Eagles had controlled much of the first half and were rewarded nine minutes before the interval when Semi Ajayi rose highest to power home a header from an Alex Iwobi delivery. The corner had been won moments earlier after Tanzanian defender Bakari Mwamnyeto cleared Victor Osimhen’s close-range effort off the line.

That goal reflected Nigeria’s growing authority, with Osimhen, Lookman and Moses Simon stretching the Tanzanian back line through pace and movement. Despite that dominance, the Super Eagles were unable to extend their lead before the break and went into half-time just one goal ahead.

The second half exploded into life almost immediately. Nigeria thought they had doubled their advantage inside the opening minute when Osimhen backheeled into the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

Tanzania seized the momentum moments later. A perfectly weighted pass from Novatus Dismas split the defence, allowing Charles M’Mbowa to burst through and slide a composed finish past Stanley Nwabali to bring the scores level.

Any belief Tanzania had of building on that equaliser was short-lived. Within sixty seconds, Lookman produced a moment of class, curling an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to restore Nigeria’s lead and silence the Tanzanian celebrations.

From there, Nigeria managed the contest with maturity, keeping possession and limiting clear chances. Tanzania pushed for a late equaliser and came close in the closing minutes when Ibrahim Hamad volleyed wide from a corner, but the Super Eagles held firm to see out the victory.

REACTIONS

Semi Ajayi – TotalEnergies Man of the Match : “It’s an amazing feeling to score for your country and in such a game it gives us the possibility of getting a good start. We had an amazing tournament in Cote D’Ivoire and we are using that as a standard. We are a team we don’t need to get goals onlyfrom the attackers and it’s pleasing to contribute to the success of the team. There are a lot of positives to take from the game and some things to fix and we will work on that to kill games going forward.”

Eric Chelle Nigeria coach: “We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important. For the moment, I want to focus on the positives. The second part of the game shows clearly that there is still some work to be done — especially when it comes to killing the game. We are aware of this, and we will work on it.

Tanzania coach Miguel Ángel Gamondi: “I think Tanzania played better than many people expected. Nigeria had a lot of possession, but we neutralized them well through our tactical system. They did create chances, but most of them came from individual quality — which is not surprising. Overall, I believe we surprised a lot of people with the quality of our performance against Nigeria today.”

Senegal 3-0 Botswana 
Goalscorers : N.Jackson 40′, 58′, C. Ndiaye 90′

Senegal made a powerful statement at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 as they swept aside Botswana 3–0 in Tangier on Tuesday, with Nicolas Jackson scoring in each half to underline their  title credentials.

Despite Senegal’s early dominance, Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko produced a series of outstanding saves to keep the scoreline level through much of the first half.

The Zebras’ stopper denied Jackson twice at close range, reacted sharply to keep out efforts from Sadio Mané, and produced another fine intervention to stop Iliman Ndiaye as Senegal pressed relentlessly.

The breakthrough eventually arrived five minutes before the interval. Ismail Jakobs delivered a precise cross from the left, and Jackson met it first time with a composed finish that finally gave Senegal a deserved lead and eased any growing frustration.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Senegal continued to dictate the tempo and doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. This time, Ismaila Sarr was the provider, sliding a pass into Jackson’s path, and the striker showed good composure to finish clinically for his second of the night.

Two minutes from time, the Lions added a third. Cheikh Sabaly surged down the right and delivered a low cross that was swept home by Cherif Ndiaye, who had replaced Jackson moments earlier, to put the gloss on an emphatic opening-night display.

The victory hands Senegal a confident start to their AFCON campaign as they look to win the continental crown again, while Botswana will need to regroup quickly after being outplayed by one of the tournament favourites.

REACTIONS :

Nicholas Jackson – Senegal – TotalEnergies Man of the Match: “I am very happy to have started on this note by scoring two goals and hopefully it is the start of many goals to come. Most importantly we won the match and played well. It is an important victory but now it is behind us and we will move our focus to the next game.”

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw: “We faced a very strong team, with a deep and compact defensive block. We could have scored more, but what stands out most is my team’s commitment and discipline. What I take away from this match is the team’s professionalism. The players followed instructions and got the job done.”

Botswana coach Morena Ramorewboli: “It was a very competitive match and dealing with the experienced Senegal players on the wings gave us a lot of problems as we struggled to cope with their pace. But we did very well to contain them in many areas especially knowing that they were seen as the favourites for the match. We will correct our mistakes in the game to ensure we improve in those areas before the next game.”

DR Congo 1-0 Benin
Goalscorer: T.Bongonda 16′

Théo Bongonda’s first-half goal gave DR Congo a winning start to their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 campaign, as the Leopards edged Benin 1-0 at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.

Coming into the tournament with confidence following their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs, DR Congo quickly asserted themselves and looked sharp from the opening exchanges.

Their early dominance was rewarded in the 16th minute when Bongonda capitalised on a defensive misunderstanding to slot calmly past goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbé and open the scoring.

The Leopards continued to press after taking the lead, moving the ball with purpose and stretching a Benin side missing five suspended regular starters. Cédric Bakambu came close to doubling the advantage, forcing Allagbé into a strong one-on-one save, while another effort was ruled out for offside as DR Congo threatened to pull clear.

Benin, however, refused to fold. The Cheetahs sought to respond through quick counter-attacks and set-piece situations, attempting to disrupt the rhythm of their opponents. Despite their effort and organization, they found clear chances hard to come by against a disciplined Congolese back line that dealt comfortably with aerial deliveries and second balls.

Benin pushed forward in the closing stages, showing determination and intent, but lacked the cutting edge needed to break through. DR Congo, by contrast, defended resolutely and saw out the match with maturity, ensuring a clean sheet and maximum points.

REACTIONS:

Theo Bongonda – DR Congo – Man of the Match: “It was a difficult match. Personally, I didn’t know Benin very well. When you look at this AFCON, no team wins easily. It’s true that we only scored one goal, but we took the three points. The most important thing is to keep moving forward and go as far as possible in this competition.”

Gernot Rohr – Benin coach: “We witnessed a very good football match that did not deserve to have a loser. My team made me proud. It was the first time we played with this system. We will now prepare well for the match against Botswana, with the advantage of having our suspended players back.”

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group F

Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and Mozambique will meet for a third time at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations when they open their Group F campaign in Marrakech on Wednesday. Kick-off is at 18h30 local time (17h30 GMT).

The sides previously met at the AFCON finals in 1986 and 1996, with Côte d’Ivoire winning both encounters.

Their first clash came at the 1986 tournament, where Côte d’Ivoire claimed a 3-0 victory, with Aboulaye Traoré scoring twice. They met again a decade later at the 1996 AFCON, when a 32nd-minute goal from Joël Tiéhi secured a 1-0 win for the Ivorians.

When paired together in 1986, Côte d’Ivoire progressed to the semi-finals alongside hosts Egypt. In 1996, however, neither side advanced, as Ghana topped the group and Tunisia finished runners-up.

Overall, this is the eighth meeting between the two nations, with Côte d’Ivoire unbeaten, recording five wins and two draws.

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Côte d’Ivoire: P7 W5 D2 L0 GF11 GA2 GD+9
Mozambique: P7 W0 D2 L5 GF2 GA11 GD-9

AFCON ONLY
Côte d’Ivoire: P2 W2 D0 L0 GF4 GA0 GD+4
Mozambique: P2 W0 D0 L2 GF0 GA4 GD-4

PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1986 – Group A (7 March 1986)
Côte d’Ivoire 3 (Traoré 25’, 74’, N’Diri 86’) Mozambique 0

1996 – Group D (8 March 1996)
Côte d’Ivoire 1 (Tiéhi 32’) Mozambique 0

Côte d’Ivoire – Key Statistics

• Making their 26th AFCON appearance• Have reached 11 successive AFCON finals, last missing out in 2004
• Currently on their longest-ever run of successive qualifications
• Have reached four AFCON finals in the 21st century (2006, 2012, 2015, 2023)
• Only Egypt (5) have reached more AFCON finals in the 21st century
• Have played 106 AFCON matches and are two wins away from 50 victories
• Have lost just four of their last 26 AFCON group matches (W15 D7)
• Have won their AFCON opening match 15 times, drawn six and lost four
• Unbeaten in their last 13 AFCON opening matches (W8 D5)
• Last lost an opening match in 1996 against Ghana
• Finished third in their group at AFCON 2023 before going on to win the title
• Emerse Faé became the first coach to take charge during a tournament and win the title
• Their 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in 2023 was their heaviest AFCON defeat
• First team to lose by four goals at a finals and still win the tournament
• First host nation since Egypt in 2006 to win the AFCON title
• Aiming to become the first defending champions since Egypt in 2010 to retain the title
• As defending champions previously, won their opening game in 1994 and drew 0-0 in 2017
• Qualified as group runners-up behind Zambia
• Oumar Diakité and Jean-Philippe Krasso were joint top scorers in qualifying (3 goals each)

Mozambique – Key Statistics

• Making their sixth AFCON appearance
• First qualified in 1986 when Egypt hosted the tournament
• Returned to the finals in 1996 and have since qualified for successive tournaments again
• Have played 15 AFCON matches without recording a win (D4 L11)
• Lost their opening match in 1986, 1996 and 1998
• Drew their opening matches at AFCON 2010 (2-2 vs Benin) and 2023 (2-2 vs Egypt)
• Came back from 2-0 down to draw with Benin in 2010
• Avoided defeat in two group matches at the same AFCON for the first time in 2023
• Scored four goals at AFCON 2023, their highest tally at a single finals
• None of their AFCON matches have ended 0-0
• Finished second in their qualifying group behind Mali
• Recorded home and away wins over Guinea-Bissau in qualifying
• Stanley Ratifo was top scorer in qualifying with three goals
• Ratifo, Reinaldo Mandava, Bruno Langa and Geny Catamo played all six qualifiers

South Africa edge Angola, Daka strike denies Mali

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group F

Cameroon and Gabon will meet for a third time at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations when they face off in their opening Group F fixture on Wednesday in Agadir. Kick-off is at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).

Central African rivals, the two sides previously met at the AFCON finals in 2010 and 2017, with Gabon avoiding defeat on both occasions.

Gabon defeated Cameroon 1-0 in their opening match of the 2010 tournament, before the sides played out a goalless draw in the final group game of the 2017 edition.

Cameroon are yet to score a goal against Gabon in AFCON competition. Despite this, it was Cameroon who progressed from the group stage on both occasions, while Gabon were eliminated.

In 2017, hosts Gabon required victory in the final group match to advance, while Cameroon needed only a draw. The match ended 0-0, and Cameroon went on to win the tournament, defeating Ghana in the final in Franceville.

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Cameroon: P25 W12 D10 L3 GF25 GA12 GD+13
Gabon: P25 W3 D10 L12 GF12 GA25 GD-13

AFCON ONLY
Cameroon: P2 W0 D1 L1 GF0 GA1 GD-1
Gabon: P2 W1 D1 L0 GF1 GA0 GD+1

PAST AFCON MEETINGS
2010 – Group D (13 January 2010)
Cameroon 0 Gabon 1 (Cousin 17’)

2017 – Group A 22 January 2017)
Cameroon 0 Gabon 0

Cameroon – Key Statistics

• Making their 22nd appearance at the AFCON finals
• Sixth consecutive AFCON appearance; last missed out in 2013
• Five-time AFCON winners (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
• Only AFCON title in North Africa came at Morocco 1988
• Runners-up at Egypt 1986
• Second most successful nation in AFCON history behind Egypt (7 titles)
• Last title came in 2017, defeating Egypt in the final
• Reached the Round of 16 at the 2023 edition, losing to Nigeria
• First AFCON appearance was in 1970
• Seven-time AFCON finalists; only Egypt (10) and Ghana (9) have more final appearances
• Reached three successive finals between 1984 and 1988
• AFCON opening game record: P20 W10 D6 L4
• Won opening matches in 2019 and 2021 after a four-tournament winless run
• Drew 1-1 with Guinea in their opening match at AFCON 2023
• Since 2015, have lost just one of their last 12 AFCON group games
• Have conceded a goal in each of their last six AFCON group matches
• Last group-stage clean sheet was a 0-0 draw with Benin in 2019
• Conceded 8 goals at AFCON 2023, equaling their highest total at a single tournament
• Have never played out a 0-0 draw in an AFCON opening match
• Qualified unbeaten, conceding only two goals
• Goalkeeper André Onana and striker Vincent Aboubakar are omitted from the squad
• Aboubakar scored three goals in qualifying and netted eight goals at AFCON 2021

Gabon – Key Statistics

• Making their ninth AFCON appearance
• First qualified in 1994 when Tunisia hosted the tournament
• Missed the 2023 edition; last appearance was in 2021
• Eliminated at the group stage four times (1994, 2000, 2010, 2017)
• Best finishes include quarter-finals in 1996 and 2012
• Have won their AFCON opening match four times, drawn once and lost three times
• Unbeaten in opening matches at their last five AFCON appearances (2010–2021)
• Defeated Cameroon 1-0 in their AFCON opening match in 2010
• Never involved in a 0-0 draw in an AFCON opening match
• Scored in seven of their eight AFCON opening games
• Currently on a six-match unbeaten run in AFCON group games (W1 D5)
• Unbeaten in their last seven AFCON matches in open play
• Qualified as group runners-up behind hosts Morocco
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Shavy Babicka were joint top scorers in qualifying (2 goals each)
• Aubameyang set to feature in his fifth AFCON finals
• Has scored six AFCON goals for Gabon, with four assists