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THE African Cup of Nations has RETURNED for another thrilling year of action in Morocco!

Stars such as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester United’s duo of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin are just a few of the big names participating.

Ivory Coast's Max Alain Gradel celebratesIvory Coast enters the tournament as the defending champions after their triumph in the 2023/24 seasonCredit: AP Sebastien Haller celebrates scoringSebastien Haller scored as Ivory Coast clinched the final against Nigeria last timeCredit: AFP Mohamed Salah reacts during a matchMo Salah is among the many Premier League stars participating in the tournamentCredit: AFP

However, breakout star Victor Osimhen will not be making the trip, as Nigeria FAILED to qualify for the 2025 tournament.

Ivory Coast enters the tournament as the defending champions, having defeated Nigeria and others.

Stars like Sebastien Haller and former striker Wilfried Bony were the key scorers as they won the tournament on home soil.

SunSport provides you with all the essential details about the tournament in Morocco!

When Did AFCON Start?

AFCON commenced on December 21.

The tournament's action kicked off with Morocco facing Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

The group stage will continue until New Year's Eve, with the last-16 starting on January 3.

The quarter-finals will begin on January 9, the semi-finals on January 14, and the third-place play-off on January 17.

The tournament final is scheduled for Sunday, January 18.

How to Watch AFCON for Free

For the first time ever, AFCON will be broadcast for FREE in the UK.

A total of 52 matches will be available across Channel 4, E4, 4Seven, the Channel 4 Streaming service, and the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.

AFCON Groups

Group A – Comoros, Mali, Morocco, Zambia

Group B – Angola, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Group C – Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda

Group D – Benin, Botswana, DR Congo, Senegal

Group E – Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan

Group F – Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mozambique

AFCON Schedule

All times are GMT

Friday, December 21
Group A
Morocco 2-0 Comoros

Monday, December 22
Group A
Mali 1-1 Zambia

Group B
Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe
South Africa 2-1 Angola

Tuesday, December 23
Group C
Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Tunisia 3-1 Uganda

Group D
Senegal 3-0 Botswana
DR Congo 1-0 Benin

Wednesday, December 24
Group E
Algeria 3-0 Sudan
Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea

Group F
Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique
Cameroon 1-0 Gabon

Friday, December 26
Group A
Morocco 1-1 Mali
Zambia 0-0 Comoros

Group B
Egypt 1-0 South Africa
Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe

Saturday, December 27
Group C
Nigeria 3-2 Tunisia
Uganda 1-1 Tanzania

Group D
Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
Benin 1-0 Botswana

Sunday, December 28
Group E
Algeria 1-1 Burkina Faso
Equatorial Guinea 0-1