Six of the eight AfCON Morocco 2025 quarterfinalists were group winners

* Reinforcing the sense that the tournament’s leading contenders have asserted themselves at the decisive stage

* Only Mali have not won an AfCON title  as the other seven quarterfinalists boast of 22 titles between them

* Friday, January 9: Mali vs Senegal (18h00); Cameroon vs Morocco (21h00)

* Saturday, January 10: Algeria vs Nigeria (18h00); Egypt vs Côte d’Ivoire (21:00)

Maravi Express

Six of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AfCON) 2025 quarter-finalists — Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria — were group winners who progressed directly to the last eight reinforcing the sense that the tournament’s leading contenders have asserted themselves at the decisive stage.

Cameroon and Mali, both runners-up in their groups, also advanced, while all teams that qualified as best third-placed sides were eliminated in the Round of 16, which underlined the weight of experience carried by the quarterfinalists.

Mali eliminated 2004 champions Tunisia on penalties, Egypt edged through extra time, Nigeria delivered a statement victory, and Algeria required late drama to progress, while hosts Morocco and holders Côte d’Ivoire negotiated tense encounters under pressure.

Only Mali have not won an AfCON title as the other seven boast of 22 titles between them Egypt (7 titles), Cameroon (5), Côte d’Ivoire (3), Nigeria (3), Algeria (2), Senegal (1), Morocco (1) — collectively winning the continental title 22 times.

This is a level of historical concentration rarely seen at this stage of the competition, and one that sets the tone for a fiercely competitive run-in to the final as the quarter-finals bring together a collection of teams whose combined pedigree underlines the scale of the challenge ahead.

Mali thus search their first continental crown and have earned admiration for their resilience and consistency over recent editions.

One of the headline fixtures sees record seven-time winners Egypt locking horns with defending champions Côte d’Ivoire in a high-profile quarter-final on Saturday; hosts Morocco face a formidable challenge against five-time champions Cameroon tomorrow in a contest expected to rank among the most fiercely contested matches of the last eight.

Tomorrow’s opening quarter-final (18:00) delivers an all–West African battle, with holders Senegal taking on a determined and gifted Mali side — while Nigeria and Algeria, two of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, will go head-to-head in Saturday’s opening tie (18:00).

With pedigree and ambition on display across the board, the quarter-finals promise a compelling run of encounters as the tournament moves closer to its conclusion.

With so much pedigree concentrated in the last eight, the quarter-finals promise a level of intensity and tactical quality befitting the latter stages of Africa’s premier football competition.

History, expectation and ambition now converge as the remaining teams chase continental supremacy in Morocco.—Reporting by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express