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The knockout phase of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) continues on Saturday, with two heavyweight quarter-final fixtures taking centre stage in Morocco.
Following the first set of quarter-final matches played on Friday, January 9, attention now turns to Marrakech and Agadir, where four of Africa’s most successful football nations will battle for places in the semi-finals.
Today at 16:00 GMT, Algeria will take on Nigeria at the Marrakech Stadium. Later in the evening, at 19:00 GMT, Egypt faces Ivory Coast at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir.
Both fixtures carry deep historical significance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt and Ivory Coast have met 12 times in the final stages of the competition.
The Pharaohs have won seven of those encounters, including victories in the 2006 and 2008 finals. Ivory Coast’s only win over Egypt at AFCON came in the 1990 edition, while three knockout meetings ended in draws before Egypt progressed.
Algeria and Nigeria are meeting for the 10th time at the tournament. Their past clashes span the 1980, 1990, 2004, 2013 and 2019 editions, with Algeria holding a slight edge of four wins to Nigeria’s three, alongside two draws.
The winners of Saturday’s matches will advance to the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, where they will face Senegal and Morocco, who booked their semi-final spots on Friday.
The final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is set for Sunday, January 18, in Rabat, as the tournament moves closer to crowning Africa’s next continental champion.
