The results of the quarterfinal stage of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations have reignited hopes across the Arab world of witnessing a historic all-Arab final for only the second time in the tournament’s history. That scenario would become reality if Egypt national football team and Morocco national football team successfully overcome their semifinal challenges and advance to the final.
Such a matchup would echo the 2004 edition, the only Arab final in Africa Cup of Nations history, when Tunisia defeated Morocco 2–1 to claim their sole continental title. More than two decades later, Egypt and Morocco now stand on the brink of recreating that milestone.
The quarterfinals concluded with Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria national football team, and Senegal national football team securing their places in the semifinals after a series of tightly contested encounters. Senegal opened the round with a narrow 1–0 victory over Mali, while Morocco continued their impressive run by defeating Cameroon 2–0 at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The following day, Nigeria eliminated Algeria with a convincing 2–0 win in Marrakech, before Egypt completed the semifinal lineup by edging defending champions Ivory Coast 3–2 in a dramatic clash in Agadir.
Morocco will now face Nigeria on Wednesday in Rabat, while Egypt take on Senegal in a heavyweight showdown in Tangier on the same day. The winners will meet in Sunday’s final in the Moroccan capital, with the third-place playoff scheduled for Saturday at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
For the second consecutive tournament, all four semifinalists are former champions, boasting a combined total of 12 Africa Cup of Nations titles. Egypt lead the field with seven championships, followed by Nigeria with three, while Morocco and Senegal have each lifted the trophy once.
On the individual level, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah continued to rewrite tournament history. He scored for the fourth consecutive match, becoming the first player ever to score against 11 different national teams in Africa Cup of Nations competition, surpassing legends such as André Ayew, Samuel Eto’o, and Didier Drogba.
Salah has now reached 11 goals in the tournament across his career, drawing level with Hossam Hassan in second place on Egypt’s all-time AFCON scoring list, trailing only the late Hassan El-Shazly, who leads with 12 goals.
From a tactical standpoint, the tournament has also highlighted the dominance of African coaches. Walid Regragui of Morocco, Hossam Hassan of Egypt, Pape Thiaw of Senegal, and Eric Chelle of Nigeria have all guided their teams to the semifinals, underlining the growing strength and confidence of African managerial expertise on the continent’s biggest stage.
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