AFCON 2025 in Morocco shapes up as a wide‑open tournament where holders Ivory Coast arrive with a target on their backs and a cluster of heavyweights – Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Cameroon – all capable of dethroning them. The quality of squads, the depth of tactical ideas and the tournament’s expanded 24‑team format mean the question is no longer “Can anyone stop Ivory Coast?” but “Who will be brave enough to seize the moment when it comes?” Setting the stage in Morocco AFCON 2025 runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, with 24 teams competing across six Moroccan cities and nine stadiums. The tournament keeps the now‑familiar structure of six groups of four, with the top two and the four best third‑placed teams reaching the round of 16, which often produces chaotic, upset‑filled knockout brackets. The hosts Morocco headline Group A with Mali, Zambia and Comoros, while Ivory Coast are drawn into a star‑studded Group F with Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique, ensu...
Harry Kane was thrilled to be in the same "conversation" with Wayne Rooney after breaking his Champions League record in style.
The Bayern Munich striker needed one goal against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night to equal Wayne Rooney's 30-goal record in the competition's main draw.Ninety minutes later, the current England captain was three goals ahead of one of his predecessors, having scored four in a 9-2 victory at the Allianz Arena, three of which came from the penalty spot.
Kane told Prime Video: "When you have a chat with Wayne Rooney, it implies you're doing something well. He is one of the greatest English players ever, as well as one of the best in the game.
"It's a nice achievement."
Kane took just 19 minutes to match Rooney's score from the spot, and he increased his total from open play 12 minutes after the break before converting twice more from 12 yards.
The 31-year-old stated, "It's the first time I've ever had three penalties in one game." It was an unusual feeling for me, but scoring four goals was amazing.
"Assisting the team in any manner possible is critical. I'll take any finish, penalty or otherwise. It was an excellent night for us."
If Kane adds a new record to his list of achievements, his three-year-old son Louis will be in for a pleasant surprise when he wakes up on Wednesday morning.
The striker explained, "I retain all the balls after hat-tricks. The fellas may be weary of signing these, but keep them coming.
"My son Louis enjoys playing football right now. He's just three, but I'll take it home and place it next to his bed so he'll be delighted when he wakes up in the morning."
Bayern led 3-0 at halftime, with Raphael Guerreiro and Michael Olise also on the scoresheet, and while Bruno Petkovic and Takuya Ogiwara briefly drew the visitors back in, Kane's second-half hat-trick, as well as goals from Olise, substitutes Leroy Sane, and Leon Goretzka, extended their unbeaten start to the season under Vincent Kompany.
Kane stated, "We've returned with a positive energy. We have been famished. You noticed that right immediately in preseason with the new coach. Everyone has something to prove here, and we've begun the season that way.
"How the coach wants us to press and be intense with and without the ball is critical. We are confident that with our current talent, we can dominate teams.
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