AFCON set to crown familiar kings

THE AFCON 2025 champions are set to be crowned on Sunday, and such has been the quality of the tournament that the new kings of African football will be reclaiming the crown for yet another term.

- MIHLALI BALEKA

The four semifinalists - Senegal, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria ~ have all won AFCON before, albeit on different occasions.

Senegal claimed their maiden title in 2021, while Egypt, who will face them in the first semifinal on Wednesday night (6pm kickoff) at the Tangier Grand Stadium, are chasing a record-extending eighth crown.

Interestingly, this will also be a repeat of the 2021 final, where the Teranga Lions edged the Pharaohs on penalties to win their maiden continental crown under son of the soil Aliou Cissé.

In addition, the clash between the Teranga Lions and the Pharaohs will not only see two sides with great squad depth go head-to-head, but will also reunite former teammates.

Sadio Mané of Senegal and Mohamed Salah of Egypt were teammates for many years at Liverpool, forming a formidable partnership that helped the club win the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, among other trophies.