AFCON 2025 in Morocco could see a historic first, with up to four Arab teams reaching the semi-finals after strong performances in the round of 16.
With the conclusion of the group stage competitions in the Africa Cup of Nations, the paths leading to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, currently being held in Morocco, have been determined.
Five Arab teams qualified for the round of 16 and still have hope of winning the title that has eluded Arab teams in the last two editions.
The past 34 editions of the continental championship, which began in 1957, have seen five Arab teams crowned with the prestigious title, led by the Egyptian national team , the historical champion of the competition with seven titles, in the years 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
In contrast, Algeria won the title in 1990 and 2019, while Sudan won the championship in 1970, Morocco in 1976, and Tunisia in 2004, bringing the total number of Arab titles in the African Cup of Nations to 12 so far.
The five Arab teams still have hope of adding a new title to their record, as they have all qualified for the round of 16 in the current edition.
The current edition may also witness a historic event with the presence of four Arab teams in the semi-finals, a first in the history of the prestigious competition.
Tunisia will play Mali in the round of 16, with the winner of that match meeting the winner of the Senegal-Sudan match in the quarter-finals on January 9 at the Tangier stadium .
As for the Egyptian national team, it will meet the Benin national team , and the winner of that match will play against the winner of the match between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, on January 10, in the city of Agadir, in the quarter-finals.
Morocco will face Tanzania in the next round, with the winner then facing the winner of the South Africa -Cameroon match in the quarter-finals on January 9 at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The winner of the match between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo will play in the quarter-finals against the winner of the match between Nigeria and Mozambique, on January 10 in Marrakech.
This means that the opportunity will be favorable for a purely Arab golden square, given the impossibility of any early Arab clashes in the quarter-finals, except for the possibility of a confrontation between Tunisia and Sudan only, which is something that has never happened before in the history of the tournament.
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