The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations continued Friday with key matches impacting group standings and qualification for the knockout stage. Egypt secured their place in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought win over South Africa, while a draw between Morocco and Mali kept Group A tightly contested. Elsewhere, a late showing from Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé – in attendance sporting the jersey of Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi – added a compelling sideline to the action as Angola and Zimbabwe battled to a draw.
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Morocco and Mali played to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling match at the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday night, December 26, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Morocco opened the scoring in the fifth minute of added time in the first half, with Ibrahim Diaz converting a penalty. Mali responded in the 64th minute, also from the spot, courtesy of Lassine Sinayoko.
Both teams pressed for a late winner, but neither could find the breakthrough, ultimately settling for a share of the points in a tightly contested Group A encounter.
The result leaves qualification from the group wide open. Morocco, led by Walid Regragui, remain top of Group A with four points, while Tom Saintfiet’s Mali side sits in second place with two points.
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Adding to the spectacle, French superstar Kylian Mbappé, currently playing for Real Madrid, was in attendance at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to watch the match.
Mbappé was spotted in the stands wearing the jersey of Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, a gesture that drew significant attention from fans and media alike, highlighting the close relationship between the two players.
Observers noted Mbappé’s support for Hakimi as a show of camaraderie and a testament to their long-standing friendship, both on and off the pitch.
Egypt Secure First Spot in Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16
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Egypt defeated South Africa 1-0 in their second Group B match of the Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco.
The victory secures Egypt’s place in the Round of 16 as the first team to qualify from their group.
The lone goal of the match came from a penalty kick converted by Mohamed Salah in the 45th minute.
Egypt played the entire second half with ten men after Mohamed Hany received his second yellow card just before halftime. Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan responded by substituting Omar Marmoush with Emam Ashour at the start of the second half.
The match, played at the Grand Stadium in Agadir on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, saw Egypt maintain their perfect start to the tournament.
Both teams entered the second round of group play atop the group with three points each after wins over Zimbabwe and Angola.
With the hard-fought win, Egypt now have six points, cementing their position at the top of the group. South Africa remain on three points and are still in contention for a spot in the knockout stage.
Historically, the two nations are evenly matched with two wins apiece and one draw in official matches, while South Africa holds a 5-2 advantage in friendly encounters.
The last meeting between the two sides at the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1998, with Egypt winning 2-0 in Burkina Faso.
Egypt holds the record for the most Africa Cup of Nations titles with seven, and have also been runners-up three times.
South Africa, meanwhile, have won the tournament once, in 1996 on home soil, and were runners-up in 1998.
The most recent encounter between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations was in Egypt in 2019, where South Africa eliminated the hosts in the Round of 16 with a late goal.
Today’s victory marks Egypt’s first win against South Africa since 2006, having lost three and drawn one of their previous four meetings.
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Angola and Zimbabwe played to a 1-1 draw in their second match of the group stage. Angola took the lead through Gilson Dala in the 24th minute with a precise strike from inside the box, before Zimbabwe equalized in the 51st minute with a goal from Knowledge Musona.
The match was played at the Grand Stadium in Marrakech, Morocco. Both teams were looking to revive their chances of reaching the next round of the tournament.
The draw leaves both teams with one point in Group B. Angola lost their opening match against South Africa 2-1, while Zimbabwe fell to Egypt in their first game.
The tournament regulations state that the group winner and runner-up from each group will advance to the next stage.
This was the first meeting between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations, but they have faced each other nine times overall, with four wins for each side and one draw.
Zambia and Comoros Islands also played to a 0-0 draw. Zambia coach Chison described his team’s match against Comoros as “crucial” for their future in the tournament, and the draw boosted the “Copper Bullets” hopes of advancing.
Zambia has won the Africa Cup of Nations once, in 2012, defeating Ivory Coast on penalties, and have reached the final three times.
