History beckons Senegal as they clash Morocco in AFCON 2025 Final

By: Bernard Nyankomago Kwasi

The battle lines are finally drawn. It’s a fight that will require total courage and preparedness to overcome. Will it be second time for Morocco or Senegal? Time will tell at the Prince Mouley Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, 18th January, 2026.

This is going to be Senegal’s fourth final apprearance in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the last 24 years.

In 2002, legendary Elhaji Diouf and his dorminant Senegalese team met Samuel Eto Fills and his Cameroonian sde in Mali.

It was goalless draw after an epic 120 minutes but Cameroon won the penalty shootout 3-2 to lift their 4th AFCON title.

Sensational attacker Sadio Mane took Senegal to another AFCON final in 2019 but they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Algeria.

Undaunted by the defeat, Coach Aliou Cisse and his men gathered their acts together to make amends two years later in 2021 against Egypt. It was Senegal first ever AFCON triumph.

Now the responsibility lies on the shoulders of Coach Papi Thiaw to lead Senegal to another promise land.

Both coaches, Aliou Cissé and Papi Thiaw are former teammates. Aliou Cisse wore the number 6 jersey for the Senegal national team during the 2002 World Cup in Japan-Korea FIFA World Cup. He went on to win the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal as coach on 6 February 2022.

Pape Thiaw wore jersey number 18 for Senegal at the same 2002 FIFA World Cup where Senegal got to the quarter finals.

As the current coach, he will lead Senegal to play the 2025 AFCON final on 18 January 2026.

Soccer pundits believe history favours Papi Thiaw though Morocco will definitely be a hard nut to crack.