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The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations reaches its big finale in 2026 on Sunday, having rolled on through the annual festive time warp, outlasting Enzo Maresca, Ruben Amorim and Ryan Mason Xabi Alonso. Some Premier League teams will have played games in four different competitions by the time they welcome their players home. Wedged into the domestic calendar’s most crowded months, Afcon can get overlooked and more’s the pity, because the 2025-26 tournament has been a vintage edition. The group stage may have lacked big surprises but was still packed with late twists, ridiculous goals and dramatic storylines. Two different coaches named Cameroon squads amid a pre-tournament power struggle; their first opponents, Gabon, were disbanded by their government after going out early (a decision quietly reversed this week). Sudan and Mozambique earned historic victories, bringing light to fans suffering through conflict. We were introduced to Kuka Mboladinga, the sharply-dressed, statuesque DR Congo fan who we all hope will make it to next summer’s Geopolitics World Cup.
In the knockout stages, the tension turned up and star names stepped forward. Brahim Díaz led hosts Morocco through a major wobble against Tanzania, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman made Nigeria look like the team to beat, and Mohamed Salah helped Egypt battle past outsiders Benin and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire. Algeria’s Adil Boulbina scored a screamer in the 119th minute to eliminate DR Congo – then toppled over right in front of Mboladinga, who remained admirably stony-faced. In the semi-finals, Sadio Mané reminded us that he very much still has it, an instinctive late strike undoing an ultra-cautious Egypt and sparing us all the 30 minutes of extra time.
