CAN 2025: Is Morocco heading for a clash with Algeria?

The group stage is now behind them. With seven points in the bag, the result of two wins against the Comoros and Zambia and a draw against Mali, Walid Regragui’s men have secured the essentials by finishing top of Group A. This performance gives them an accessible round of 16 match against Tanzania, who qualified at the last minute among the best third-placed teams. The match is scheduled for this Sunday, January 4 at 5 pm, at the Moulay Abdallah complex in Rabat, where the public is awaiting a confirmation of the national team’s rise in power.

If the Tanzanian obstacle seems surmountable, the rest of the journey promises to be much tougher. In the event of qualification for the quarter-finals, Morocco will have to overcome the winner of the duel between South Africa and Cameroon. A confrontation that would serve as the first real test of scale to judge the real capabilities of the Lions to lift the trophy at home.

But it is above all the prospect of the semi-finals that fuels all the discussions. The bracket of confrontations suggests the possibility of an explosive scenario: a Maghreb derby against Algeria. For this dream match to take place, the Fennecs will first have to eliminate the Democratic Republic of Congo, then survive a potential quarter-final against Nigeria or Mozambique. A Morocco-Algeria semi-final would undoubtedly be the emotional and sporting pinnacle of this competition.