BETTING GUIDE: Senegal vs Morocco, Match Preview, Team News and Prediction
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 17.01.26. | 22:00
This final brings together two of the tournament’s most consistent sides. Senegal arrive as champions of AFCON 2021, while hosts Morocco are bidding to end a 50-year wait for continental supremacy
After a month of attritional group-stage battles and finely balanced knockout ties, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations reaches its climax as Senegal and Morocco meet in the final on Sunday night.
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The continental showpiece will be staged at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 10:00 PM local time, and the stakes could not be higher as both nations chase a second AFCON crown.
This final brings together two of the tournament’s most consistent sides. Senegal arrives as champions of AFCON 2021, while hosts Morocco are bidding to end a 50-year wait for continental supremacy.
With contrasting attacking profiles but similarly elite defensive structures, this matchup promises a tense, tactical affair rather than a goal-fest.
Senegal’s route to the final has been built on control and efficiency. Pape Thiaw’s side remains unbeaten in the tournament (W5, D1), scoring 12 goals and conceding just two across six matches.
In their last five games, the Lions of Teranga have scored 11 goals and allowed only one, underlining their growing authority as the competition has progressed.
Their semi-final victory over Egypt was narrow but deserved, with Sadio Mané’s 78th-minute strike sealing a 1-0 win in Tangier.
Defensively, Senegal have kept four clean sheets, with Edouard Mendy providing calm assurance behind a disciplined back line.
However, there is a notable blow in team news: Kalidou Koulibaly is suspended, while Habib Diarra also misses out, forcing a reshuffle in central defence and midfield.
Mané remains the focal point, contributing directly to five of Senegal’s goals, while Nicolas Jackson is expected to lead the line.
Morocco, meanwhile, have leaned heavily on defensive solidity and game management. Walid Regragui’s men have conceded just one goal in regulation time throughout the tournament, keeping five clean sheets in six matches.
In their last five outings, the Atlas Lions have scored eight goals and conceded none, a remarkable record reinforced by the penalty shootout triumph over Nigeria in the semi-finals.
At home in Rabat, Morocco have been exceptionally difficult to break down, allowing just five shots on target across six games.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has been instrumental, while the central defensive pairing of Nayef Aguerd and Adam Masina has provided stability in the absence of Romain Saiss.
In midfield, Azzedine Ounahi remains sidelined, but Brahim Díaz continues to be Morocco’s main attacking threat, leading the tournament scoring charts with five goals.
Historically, this fixture has been tight. The most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw, and seven of the last nine head-to-head clashes have finished with both teams not scoring.
Finals themselves tend to be cautious, and with both sides prioritising defensive structure and risk management, the tactical balance heavily favours a low-scoring outcome.
Key Betting Pointers
- Morocco have conceded only one goal in regulation time all tournament
- Four of Senegal’s six matches in the tournament saw only one team score.
- Five of Morocco’s six AFCON games ended with both teams not scoring
- Seven of the last nine Senegal - Morocco meetings finished with both teams not scoring
Given the magnitude of the occasion, the strength of both defensive units, and the likelihood of a cagey opening phase, goals should be at a premium.
While Senegal possesses individual match-winners, Morocco’s compact block and home support may tilt the balance marginally in their favour.
Prediction: Both teams not to score / Senegal 0-1 Morocco
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