AFCON
Afcon 2023 teams set up seven pre-tournament camps in the Middle East and Africa
With the clock ticking down to the 13 January kick-off date for the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the 24 teams have set up seven camps in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and West Africa as well as some remaining at home.
The camps are in Saudi Arabia, UAE, West Africa, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria as well as some remaining in their home countries.
In the United Arab Emirates are six teams from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cape Verde Angola and Guinea.
Fourth in the last edition, Burkina Faso chose to set up camp in Dubai on December 28, where the Stallions will play a mini-tournament with Nigeria and the DR Congo.
The Congolese and Burkinabes will face off on January 10.
It’s worth noting that Sébastien Desabre’s men are expected in Abu Dhabi at the end of December.
These two teams will be joined by Cape Verde, fine-tunning its preparation in Abu Dhabi before flying to Rades in Tunisia where they will face the Carthage Eagles on January 10.
Abu Dhabi is a carefully considered choice for Kaba Diawara: “Initially, we will meet in Conakry on December 28 and do everything related to flag presentation, celebration, receiving the head of state, and saying goodbye to families on our soil.
“We will be in Abu Dhabi on the 31st to start training. We will leave there for Cote d’Ivoire on January 11 or 12, 2024,” explained the Guinean coach.
Nigeria chose to set up in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates during their preparation. The Super Eagles will face the DR Congo and Burkina Faso during this period.
Nigerians will likely encounter Angola, who also chose Dubai for their training camp.
At the Saudi Arabia training camp are the quartet of Cameroon, Gambia, Zambia, and Cape Verde which also will partly be in UAE and later Tunisia.
Cameroon and Gambia, the two teams set to face each other on January 23 in Group B of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, will prepare in the same country of Saudi Arabia.
According to the Cameroonian press, a contingent of 23 Indomitable Lions will travel to Jeddah on December 27.
Gambia will stay in Saudi Arabia from December 27 to January 5 before heading to Morocco, where a match against the Atlas Lions is planned on January 7.
After a brief gathering with local players, Zambia will fly to Riyadh, with a friendly match scheduled around January 7.
South Africa is another training centre where Ghana and Mozambique will be. Ghanaians will spend New Year’s Eve together in South Africa. The Black Stars will undergo a 10-day training camp where the press and the public will not be able to attend their sessions.
A test match against Botswana is scheduled for Chris Hughton’s men on January 8 before flying to Abidjan.
Mozambicans will also travel to South Africa before the Africa Cup of Nations.
The trio of Algeria, Guinea Bossau and Namibia opted to set up camp in West Africa
Algeria heads to Togo. From January 1 to 10, the Fennecs will conduct their preparation stage in Lomé. The 2021 African champions will play against Togo on January 5 and Burundi on January 9.
Guinea Bissau will go to Mali. The Djurtus will face the Eagles on January 3 before heading to Ivory Coast on January 7. Namibia will be in Ghana.
Both Mauritania and Zambia opted to set up training camp in Tunisia. After Abu Dhabi, Cape Verde will go to Tunisia, where a match against the Carthage Eagles is scheduled.
Mauritania will start its preparation in Tabarka, a coastal city in northwest Tunisia. Amir Abdou and his team will be there until January 11 and will face Tunisia on January 6.
Tanzania will prepare on the side of Annaba in Algeria. Two friendly matches against nations participating in the AFCON are under discussion.
Eight nations have decided to carry out their preparation at home, including Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, the host country of the competition.
AFCON
CAF’s analysis of AFCON 2025: Nigeria and Tunisia face tricky Group C challenge

Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, is set to witness a thrilling contest in Group C, where Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania will battle for a place in the knockout rounds.
With two former AFCON champions and two East African teams eager to make their mark, this group promises to be one of the most competitive in the tournament.
Nigeria Begins Campaign Against Tanzania, Tunisia Faces Uganda
Group C action kicks off on December 23, 2025, with Nigeria taking on Tanzania at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.
The Super Eagles, three-time AFCON winners, will aim to start strong against Tanzania, who are still seeking their first-ever knockout stage qualification.
The same day will also see Tunisia facing Uganda at Stade Annexe of Prince Moulay in Rabat, a key encounter that could determine the early group leaders.
The Carthage Eagles, winners of the 2004 AFCON, will look to assert their dominance, while Uganda’s Cranes will be eager to cause an upset.
Super Eagles Face Tunisia in a Crucial Clash
One of the standout matches in Group C will be the Nigeria vs Tunisia showdown on December 27 at Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.
This fixture revives an old rivalry, with Tunisia having famously knocked Nigeria out of AFCON 2021 in the Round of 16. The Super Eagles will be determined to exact revenge.
Meanwhile, the East African derby will unfold on the same day as Uganda battles Tanzania at Stade El Bardi in Rabat.
The encounter will carry extra significance as both nations will co-host AFCON 2027, and this match will serve as an early test of their competitiveness.
Final Group C Showdowns on December 31
The last round of Group C matches will take place on December 31, with Uganda facing Nigeria at Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.
By this stage, Uganda may need to pull off an upset to secure a place in the knockout rounds.
At the same time, Tunisia will take on Tanzania at Stade Annexe of Prince Moulay in Rabat, a fixture that could be crucial for both teams’ qualification hopes.
With only two automatic qualification spots and a possible third-place route to the Round of 16, Group C is set to be one of the most unpredictable groups in AFCON 2025.
Group C Fixtures – AFCON 2025
Matchday Fixture Date Stadium City 1 Nigeria vs Tanzania 23 Dec 2025 Complexe Sportif de Fès Fès 1 Tunisia vs Uganda 23 Dec 2025 Stade Annexe – Prince Moulay Rabat 2 Uganda vs Tanzania 27 Dec 2025 Stade El Bardi Rabat 2 Nigeria vs Tunisia 27 Dec 2025 Complexe Sportif de Fès Fès 3 Uganda vs Nigeria 30 Dec 2025 Complexe Sportif de Fès Fès 3 Tunisia vs Tanzania 30 Dec 2025 Stade Annexe – Prince Moulay Rabat
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AFCON
Match schedule for Africa Cup Nations now available for download

Africa’s football governing body, CAF has released the full fixtures for the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco.
Click here to download the full match schedule
Nine stadiums, the highest so far, will be used. They are spread across six cities for the continent’s greatest football show.
Morocco and Comoros will kick off the tournament on 21 December 2025 with a Group A fixture at the newly-built 69,500-seater Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, a fitting stage for the grand opening.
Rabat will have four match venues, with other host cities Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier to have one each.
The four quarter-final fixtures will be played at the Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, as well as in Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir.
The semi-finals will be in Rabat and Tangier, with the third-place play-off set for the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
There will be 52 matches over 29 days in a feast of football for fans that showcases the skill and passion of African football.
Click here to download the full match schedule
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AFCON
Coach of Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 first opponents, Hemed Suleiman Ali talks tough

Head coach of the Taifa Stars, Hemed Suleiman Ali has admitted that his team has zero options after being grouped with two former champions, Nigeria and Tunisia in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
In an interview with CAFOnline, Ali remarked that his team was condemned to overcome the two tough opponents to get beyond the group stage.
Morocco 2025 will be Tanzania’s fourth outing having debuted in Nigeria in 1980 and qualifying for a second time at Egypt 2019 after being guided by a Nigerian coach, Emmanuel Amuneke.
They made their third outing at Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
The Tanzania head coach was reacting to Monday evening’s AFCON Morocco 2025 draw in Rabat which saw the East Africans drawn in an interesting group that pairs them with neighbours Uganda, as well as two former African champions Nigeria and Tunisia.
He remarked that every group of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 presents its challenges and that their Group C pool is no different to any of the other five groups.
Tanzania, a fast-growing African football nation is headed to its Africa Cup of Nations, with their third in Cote d’Ivoire.
“We are ready. We saw who we are going to play with. I think it’s a tough group but it’s tough for all of them. There is no easy group. If you have qualified for this stage of the competition, you have to prepare. We know who we are facing, and we know how we will prepare for them. There is no other way, we have to prepare well and represent our people well at this tournament” said the 54-year-old coach.
The Morocco finals mark the coach’s second consecutive appearance as head coach of the Taffia Stars.
Suleiman Ali took over the reins from as Interim Coach at the Cote d’Ivoire finals after the dismissal of Adel Amrouche in the group stages.
Under his guidance, Tanzania qualified for the finals through back-to-back victories against Guinea and Ethiopia, including a crucial 1-0 win over Guinea, sealed by Saimon Happygod Msuva’s decisive goal.
Tanzania will also be hoping to secure their first win of the competition, having played 9 matches, drawn three and lost six.
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