AFCON 2025: The turning point for Morocco

'Morocco will win AFCON 2025', these are the words on the lips of many football fans across the world ahead of the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. 

The World Cup semi-finalist have waited for over four decades for an opportunity to win the continent's biggest prize.

However, with the tournament being held on home social and the series of success by the North Africans in recent times, Morocco remains favourite to win AFCON 2025.

However, they will have to shake off the elephant on their back to achieve the ultimate.

Morocco are top of the continental ranking, and justifiably, the most successful African team in the last five years, across various categories.

The Atlas Lions reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 2022, the team (mostly home-based) won the Arab Cup just a week ago and the domestic national side have also been three-times CHAN champions while the U20 are currently the world champions.

This has been as a result of heavy investments in sports infrastructure by the country's highest authorities, including two of Africa's most advanced facilities - both of which bear King Mohammed's name.

The Mohammed VI Football Academy and Mohammed VI Training Complex host youth and senior national teams - men and women - combining elite training with education, accommodation and sports science.

A year ago, Morocco - dubbed favourites - disappointingly exited AFCON at the quarter-final stage.

But a year on, the pressure, the home support and growth in the sports and investment could mean this is actually the turning point for the Atlas Lions.