AFCON
AFCON 2025: Morocco And Senegal Set For Historic Final After Decades Of Rivalry
There will be a familiar feeling in the air when Morocco and Senegal step onto the pitch in Rabat for the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
These two nations have clashed 38 times across history, yet their meeting on Sunday will be their first-ever showdown at the AFCON finals. That alone makes this one of the most extraordinary matchups in the tournament’s history.
A Rivalry Built Over Decades
Morocco and Senegal have developed a long and competitive football relationship.
For Senegal, only Guinea and Mali have been more frequent opponents, while for Morocco, only Tunisia has crossed its path more often. Despite this frequency, the fact that they have never met at the AFCON finals is astonishing.
Between them, they have played 145 matches in the tournament’s history, but their paths have somehow never aligned on Africa’s biggest stage. Until now.
Morocco’s Historical Edge
The numbers reveal a rivalry that has generally tilted in Morocco’s favor. Across their 38 meetings, Morocco has earned 21 victories, with Senegal registering nine wins and eight matches ending in draws.
The Atlas Lions have also outscored the Teranga Lions by a wide margin, scoring 51 goals to Senegal’s 25. These statistics emphasize Morocco’s historical dominance, although Senegal’s growth in recent years suggests that previous trends may no longer reflect present realities.
The Last Competitive Encounter
You have to go back to 2001 to find the last competitive meeting between the two sides. They met in the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, beginning with a goalless draw in Morocco.
The return match in Dakar ended in a 1–0 victory for Senegal, thanks to a decisive goal from El-Hadji Diouf.
Senegal would later go on to enjoy a historic World Cup run in 2002, reaching the quarter-finals and shocking the world with their performances.
CHAN 2024 A Limited Reference Point
More recently, the teams crossed paths in the semi-finals of the 2024 African Nations Championship. The match ended 1–1 before Morocco advanced on penalties.
However, the CHAN tournament includes only home-based players, meaning the squads and overall competitiveness are not truly reflective of full national-team strength.
Additionally, both current head coaches, Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw, were not in charge during that encounter, making it an unreliable indicator for what awaits in the AFCON final.
Recent Friendlies Paint a Clear Picture
Since those 2001 World Cup qualifiers, Morocco and Senegal have played six friendly matches. Morocco won all six, showcasing a period of control in non-competitive fixtures.
Their most recent meeting came in 2022, featuring largely experimental squads shortly after the World Cup in Qatar.
While friendlies do not always offer a perfect gauge of quality, they do reflect Morocco’s continued consistency over the decades.
A Rivalry Shaped by World Cup Dreams
The Morocco vs Senegal history is deeply connected to World Cup qualification campaigns. They met in the qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup, where Morocco won both matches.
They also faced off in the journey to the 1982 World Cup, in qualifiers for the 1976 AFCON, and in World Cup preliminaries in 1970 and 1974. Morocco prevailed in each of these crucial routes.
Their very first meeting in 1968 was a World Cup qualifier as well, ending in a 1–0 Moroccan victory secured by Boujemaa Benkhrif. From the very beginning, their rivalry has been rooted in high-stakes football.
A Final Loaded with Meaning
Sunday’s match carries historical weight for several reasons. It is the first-ever AFCON encounter between the nations after decades of competitive clashes elsewhere.
Morocco will be aiming to lift the trophy for the first time since 1976, nearly half a century of waiting.
Senegal, meanwhile, arrives as one of Africa’s modern powerhouses, looking to reclaim the continental crown it first won in 2021. Both sides boast strong squads, top-level coaching, and a hunger to cement their status in African football.
