Morocco's time?

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations hosts are hot favourites to become champions of Africa. Can they live up to those lofty expectations?

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It will not be the first time in recent editions that Morocco are hot favourites for success at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, but the continental championship is a tournament where the form book is often way off the mark.

Morocco's status as the team tipped to win is enhanced not only by the fact that they are the hosts of the 24-team extravaganza, but also because they are the top-ranked team on the continent, have gone through their last two qualifying campaigns unbeaten, and set a new world record for successive wins.

Their victory over Congo in October was their 16th in a row and broke Spain's record for successive wins by a national team – and they extended that to 18 with two more victories in November. Morocco have not lost since South Africa knocked them out of the last tournament in the Ivory Coast, where their favourites tag came on the back of them becoming the first African side to go all the way to the World Cup semifinals.

But the reality of the Cup of Nations is that there is any number of legitimate challengers, and it will be the form over the month that counts, not previous results, quality of players in the squad, or coaching expertise.

Other North African sides will be hoping that the familiar conditions give them an advantage – Algeria and Egypt both have strong sides – while the usual coterie of West African challengers like holders Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal are also in with a chance.