Morocco hosts Senegal for the Africa Cup final. Here’s what you need to know
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco hosts Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, ending a four-week tournament that showcased the continent’s best soccer.
Morocco will hope it also provided the best playing facilities, stadiums and infrastructure for a tournament on the continent as it continues its preparations to be a 2030 World Cup co-host.
It’s likely it will get another dry run before the global showpiece as host of the 2028 Africa Cup, brought forward a year to allow the Confederation of African Football to switch the competition to a four-year cycle that brings it in line with FIFA’s calendar.
Few countries in Africa would be able to host the event at such short notice. Morocco, which has invested heavily in soccer and transport infrastructure, is also hosting its third straight Women’s Africa Cup tournaments starting March 17.
A win in the men’s showpiece Sunday would end a 50-year wait for the kingdom’s second Africa Cup title and bring validation of sorts for the huge spending spree. But the pressure is immense.
Senegal, the 2021 winner, is also going for its second title.
It’s another duel of lions, between the Atlas Lions of Morocco and Teranga Lions of Senegal.
Here’s all you need to know about the final of the 35th edition:
Senegal complains
Less than 48 hours before the match, the Senegalese Football Federation has made extensive complaints about the way the team is being treated upon its arrival in Rabat for the game.
The federation issued a statement criticizing an alleged lack of security for the team’s arrival at Rabat’s train station, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.
Favorites meet
It has been a tournament of few surprises, and no one will be shocked to see the two top-ranked African teams contest the final — No. 11 Morocco vs. No. 19 Senegal. Both are likely to climb in the FIFA rankings when the next update is issued Monday.
Both teams have played all their six games so far in the same stadium, with Morocco buoyed by vociferous home support in the 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is also hosting the final.
For Senegal, which played every game in Tangier, it will be its first match of the tournament in another stadium.
Star players
Forget Achraf Hakimi, the 2025 African Footballer of the Year — the undisputed star of the tournament so far has been Morocco’s No. 10, Brahim Díaz, who scored in each of the team’s first five games. If Díaz scores again in the final, he would join Ahmed Faras as Morocco’s joint-top scorer at an Africa Cup. Faras, the 1975 African Footballer of the Year, is the country’s top scorer altogether with 36 goals.
To be fair to Hakimi, he missed the team’s first two games as he recovered from an ankle injury, going on as a substitute in the third. He has since played every game in the knockout stage and created 10 chances, the most for a Moroccan player.
Senegal’s Sadio Mané has created 18 chances, the most in the tournament. The two-time African Footballer of the Year (2019, 2022) scored against Egypt in the semifinal — his 11th Africa Cup goal.
Mané led Senegal to victory in 2021 and will want to sign off with another win in what is likely his last game in the competition.
Defenses on top
Morocco has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far — a penalty scored by Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko in the group stage.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has conceded only two — against Congo and Sudan, and the Teranga Lions more than one goal in a game since a 2-2 draw with Algeria in 2017. From its last 22 Africa Cup games, Senegal has not conceded in 15.
Suspensions
Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly is out because of an accumulation of yellow cards. It’s his second suspension of the tournament after a red card in the group stage, and it will be the second final he misses through suspension after the 2019 final, which Senegal lost to Algeria. Koulibaly’s semifinal was cut short by injury, so it’s uncertain if he could have played.
Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra is also suspended because of yellow cards. He was booked in the semifinal win over Egypt for arguing.
Morocco has no suspensions.
World Cup next
Both teams have qualified for the World Cup this year. However, Senegal supporters are unsure whether they can attend the team’s first two games in the United States because of a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.
The Teranga Lions play their first match against France in New Jersey on June 16, four days before facing Norway in the same stadium. Senegal will face a playoff winner between Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq in Toronto for its final group game on June 26.
Morocco is in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. Moroccan fans will not be impacted by the travel ban.
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AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations