Morocco 2025: 4 AFCON Matches to Look Forward to in the Round of 16
- The full draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 matches has been confirmed after the group stages
- Nigeria, which was one of the perfect teams in the group stage, will remain in and clash with the Mambas of Mozambique
- Algeria, the other team with nine points in the group stage, landed a tough draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has reached the knockout stages after the completion of the group stage, with the full draw for the round of 16 confirmed.
Qualified teams have varying rest days depending on their last group game, as there is a two-day break between the end of the first round and the start of the knockout stages.
Source: Getty Images
CAF confirmed the full draw for the Round of 16, which will run from January 2 to 4, 2026, with some interesting fixtures lined up to entertain the fans.
Senegal will face Sudan, and Mali will clash with Tunisia on the first day. South Africa will take on Cameroon, and Morocco faces Tanzania on the second day.
The third day will see a match between Egypt and Benin, while Nigeria will face Mozambique. The final day has Cote d'Ivoire playing against Burkina Faso and Algeria taking on DR Congo.
Legit.ng looks at the four matches to look forward to in the round of 16, as selected by top football expert Rilwan Balogun, who described them as proper tournament games.
1. Algeria vs DR Congo
The Desert Foxes finished top of Group E with nine points, the other team to do so after Nigeria, as noted by France 24, and will face the Leopards, who finished second in Group D.
Balogun picked it as one of the matches to look forward to purely based on both teams’ strength at the moment, describing them as well-coached teams.
2. South Africa vs Cameroon
Two teams that finished second in Group B and F, behind Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire. Bafana Bafana will face one of the most successful teams in the history of the tournament, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Our expert picked this match because of the two teams’ performances so far at the tournament.
“South Africa look really strong so far, and they have dedicated players, and Cameroon also look good. It’s also two teams with decent AFCON records,” he told Legit.ng.
3. Cote d'Ivoire vs Burkina Faso
The defending champions and Group F winners, Cote d'Ivoire, will take on the country that borders them to the north, Burkina Faso, which finished second in Group E.
Source: Getty Images
“It is West African football - a big duel. Burkina Faso are one of those teams that’s not popular but are very hard to defeat,” Balogun told Legit.ng.
4. Mali vs Tunisia
Group A and C runner-ups, Tunisia and Mali, have booked a date in the round of 16. According to our expert, they both are good football sides on their day and will be at each other’s throats. Mali have a good midfield, Tunisia have a decent defence.
Nigeria's injury concern ahead of Round of 16
Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle provided an injury update on two Super Eagles stars after their 3-1 win over Uganda in the final group game.
AFCON debutant Ryan Alebiosu suffered a nasty cut on his leg and had to visit the hospital, while Cyriel Dessers is dealing with a thigh problem.
Source: Legit.ng
