The Africa Cup of Nations has entered a brief Christmas pause, but the break will be short-lived as the tournament prepares for a packed week of decisive group-stage matches across Morocco.
After kicking off on Sunday, the continental championship pauses for just 24 hours before resuming Friday, with two full rounds of group fixtures scheduled before the end of the year. Tournament organizers face a tight calendar as teams battle for places in the knockout stage.
The opening days of the competition have largely followed expectations, with several traditional heavyweights making confident starts. Algeria and Senegal delivered strong opening performances, while defending champions Ivory Coast and former winners Cameroon also secured early victories.
For host nation Morocco, however, the opening night brought more relief than celebration. Their 2–0 win over Comoros came after sustained pressure from the underdogs, highlighting the weight of expectation facing the Atlas Lions on home soil.
Morocco has poured significant investment into stadiums and football infrastructure ahead of the tournament, part of broader preparations tied to its role as a co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. That investment has raised hopes—and pressure—that the national team can finally deliver continental success.
Despite being among the favorites, Morocco has historically struggled at the Africa Cup of Nations, lifting the trophy only once, more than five decades ago. Their next test comes Friday in Rabat, where they face Mali in a far more demanding Group A encounter.
Attention is also focused on the potential return of captain Achraf Hakimi. The newly crowned African Footballer of the Year had been sidelined after injuring his ankle while playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Having returned to training last week, Hakimi could feature on Boxing Day.
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Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah remains under the spotlight as Egypt push forward in the tournament. After a turbulent period at club level that included time on the bench at Liverpool and public criticism of his manager, Salah appears re-energized on international duty.
He scored a dramatic late winner earlier this week as Egypt overturned a deficit to defeat Zimbabwe, offering a timely reminder of his influence. Egypt will look to extend that momentum when they face South Africa in Agadir on Friday.
With little room for rest, teams now face a compressed run of matches that will determine qualification for the knockout rounds. The group stage concludes on December 31, with the round of 16 beginning January 3.