Africa’s football heavyweights have wasted little time asserting their pedigree at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with former champions dominating the opening round of group matches.

On a busy Tuesday of four fixtures, Tunisia joined fellow past winners Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Senegal in posting opening-game victories.

Tunisia’s 3–1 defeat of Uganda in Rabat capped the day’s action, following DR Congo’s hard-earned 1–0 win over Benin and Senegal’s convincing 3–0 triumph against Botswana. Earlier in the week, Egypt and South Africa also began their campaigns with wins, while hosts Morocco set the tone by beating Comoros 2–0 in Sunday’s tournament opener.

With half of the 24-team field having previously lifted the AFCON trophy, early results have largely followed historical lines. After three days of competition, the only former champion yet to record an opening victory is Zambia, who required a late equaliser to salvage a draw against Mali on Monday.

As the group stages unfold, the early momentum gathered by Africa’s traditional powers is already shaping the narrative of Morocco 2025, setting up intriguing battles between pedigree and ambition across the continent.

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Sudan’s coach James Kwesi Appiah aims to turn the Africa Cup of Nations into a source of joy amid war for the Sudanese people, vowing that every player will give their all to achieve success in the continental tournament in Morocco.

Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with around 150,000 people killed and almost 14 million displaced, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world.

Ghana-born coach Appiah, however, succeeded in steering the team to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations despite having to play all their qualifying matches away from home.

“I’m happy that Sudan is part of such a big tournament,” Appiah told a press conference on Tuesday, on the eve of their Group E game against Algeria.

“We all know there’s a war in Sudan, and I believe this tournament will put some smiles on the faces of all Sudanese.

“We are here to make sure we do our best to entertain everyone who comes to the stadium.”

The coach said that even as he carries out his tactical job, sometimes they learn that a team member has lost someone in their family due to the conflict. But they remain patient, he said, as they aim to make every Sudanese proud.

“We all know there has been no league in Sudan for the past three years, but we make sure the team represents itself very well.”

Sudan’s biggest teams – Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, as well as Al Ahli Wad Madani – will participate in the Rwandan league next season.

Sudan captain Bakhit Khamis said that while the situation at home was catastrophic, the side were happy to be in Morocco for the tournament.

“The situation Sudan is going through is truly disastrous in every sense of the word. Thank God we managed to qualify,” he said.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

Morocco’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha OU Ali Tagma, has congratulated Nigeria’s Super Eagles following their 2–1 victory over Tanzania in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, currently taking place in Morocco.

In a message sent to Sports Village Square moments after the final whistle in Fez, the ambassador expressed his delight in simple but emphatic terms, saying: “Congratulations!!”

The ambassador has been closely following Nigeria’s AFCON campaign and shared several video clips in the build-up to the match, including the Super Eagles’ arrival in Fez last Thursday.

He also circulated footage from the colourful opening ceremony in Rabat, which featured a performance by Nigerian music icon Davido, as well as clips of Gburugburu Ndigbo Dum’s visit to the Nigerian team in their Fez camp.

Also reacting to Nigeria’s opening match, a Director of the Moroccan National Tourism Office, Hatim El Ghabi, praised the Super Eagles after watching both their recent World Cup qualifying play-off and the AFCON victory over Tanzania.

According to El Ghabi, Nigeria possess “a strong team with a powerful attack” and a clear ability to strike decisively on the counter-attack.

He noted that the Super Eagles’ approach points to an offensive strategy built around players capable of creating dangerous chances and punishing opponents, describing the team as “formidable and exciting to watch.”

Nigeria’s victory over Tanzania has given them a positive start in Group C, and attention now turns to their second group fixture against Tunisia, scheduled for Saturday in Fez, as the Super Eagles look to build momentum in their quest for continental glory on Moroccan soil.

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