Historic First: Eight Stadiums to Host AFCON 2025 Round of 16 Matches
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will set a new historical precedent, as it has been decided that the Round of 16 matches will be played across eight different stadiums, a first in the competition's history.
The organizing committee was keen to increase the number of stadiums hosting the Round of 16 matches to a record high, unprecedented in any previous edition of the tournament. In the 2023 edition in Côte d'Ivoire, as well as in the 2021 edition in Cameroon and the 2019 edition in Egypt, organizers used only six stadiums, despite the adoption of the new format featuring 24 teams.
The matches for this round will be distributed across six Moroccan cities. The Mohammed V Complex in Casablanca will host the clash between Mali and Tunisia, while the Grand Stade de Tanger will welcome the encounter between Senegal and Sudan. Meanwhile, the Grand Stade d'Agadir will host the match between Egypt and Benin.
Round of 16 fixtures will continue at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, which will be the venue for the match between Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, while the capital Rabat will host three other matches.
The first of these will see South Africa face Cameroon at the City Stadium, the second will feature the Moroccan national team against Tanzania at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, and the third will be between Algeria and DR Congo at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
The Round of 16 competitions will conclude with Nigeria taking on Mozambique at the Fez Stadium, a scenario that reflects the balanced geographical distribution and diversity of stadiums across the various host cities for the tournament.
