The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has reached its business end, with the quarter-finals set to deliver four blockbuster encounters featuring Africa’s biggest footballing nations.
Friday’s action sees Mali face 2021 champions Senegal, before hosts Morocco take on Cameroon later in the evening. On Saturday, Algeria meet Nigeria in a clash between two of the tournament’s most consistent performers, while Egypt face Ivory Coast in a classic heavyweight showdown.
With just eight teams remaining, attention now turns not only to the decisive matches ahead, but also to the key trends and standout numbers from the first 44 games of the competition.
Quarter-Final Line-Up Reflects AFCON’s Elite
Unlike recent editions, AFCON 2025 has produced few surprises. The eight teams that have reached the quarter-finals are also the eight highest-ranked nations in the tournament according to FIFA rankings at the time of the draw.
There have been no unexpected outsiders, with Africa’s traditional powerhouses asserting their dominance. As a result, every quarter-final presents a finely balanced contest between continental giants, making predictions particularly difficult.
Nigeria Lead the Goal Rush
Nigeria have emerged as the tournament’s most potent attacking force, scoring 12 goals in four matches to top the scoring charts. While much of the spotlight has fallen on Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, it is the creative influence of Alex Iwobi in midfield that has underpinned their attacking fluency.
Senegal are the only other quarter-finalist to reach double figures, scoring 10 goals, while Mali are the lowest scorers among the last eight, managing just three goals in four games.
Goals Flowing Freely in Morocco
A total of 109 goals have been scored across 44 matches so far, averaging 2.48 goals per game. The tournament is now on course to surpass the current AFCON record of 119 goals, set in 2023.
With eight matches remaining, just 11 more goals would be enough to establish a new scoring benchmark.
Mali Advance Without a Win
One of the tournament’s most remarkable stories belongs to Mali, who have reached the quarter-finals without winning a single match, recording four consecutive draws.
After their Round of 16 penalty shoot-out victory over Tunisia, head coach Tom Saintfiet jokingly suggested his side could lift the trophy without winning a game in regulation time—a scenario that would rank among AFCON’s most unusual triumphs.
Brahim Díaz Makes History for Morocco
Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Díaz continues to shine for the hosts, becoming the first Moroccan player to score in four consecutive AFCON matches after netting in the Round of 16 win over Tanzania.
Díaz is now Morocco’s top scorer at a single AFCON finals and sits just two goals behind Ahmed Faras, the country’s all-time leading scorer. Alongside Ayoub El Kaabi, Díaz has accounted for all of Morocco’s goals so far.
Lookman Emerges as Player of the Tournament Contender
Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman has been one of the standout performers of AFCON 2025, registering an astonishing seven goal contributions in four matches.
With three goals and four assists, Lookman has played a decisive role in Nigeria’s progress and is firmly in contention for Player of the Tournament honours.
Algeria’s Zidane Guards the Goal
At the other end of the pitch, Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane has been nearly unbeatable, going almost five hours without conceding a goal at the tournament.
The only goal Algeria have allowed came during a 3–1 group-stage win over Equatorial Guinea, when Zidane was rested after qualification had already been secured. His performances have been central to Algeria’s defensive solidity heading into the quarter-finals.
