Insight into How Egypt, Botswana, Mauritania, Cape Verde will Fare in Morocco

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will run from December 21, 2025 until January 18, 2026, making it the first time the most prestigious football tournaments on the continent will take place over the Christmas and New Year period. Apart from hosts Morocco, other nations that have qualified include: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

With qualifiers for the group stages commencing in September and wrapping up in November 2024, 12 groups of four have been selected to see which 24 sides will go to the finals in the Kingdom of Morocco. In this article, Sportblot will be focusing on Egypt, Botswana, Mauritania, and Cape Verde who will be participating in the tournament as Group C. 

Get to know how the teams made it to AFCON 2025, their current status and their prospects in the bi-annual football showpiece. It is to be expected that how far they will go in the tourney will be dependent on the teams’ development, historical performances, squad strength, and coaching.

Egypt: Football Powerhouse Shouldering Huge Expectations

The Egyptian national team, also known as the Pharaohs, has seven AFCON titles to its name, achieving the most recent feat during AFCON 2010. This feat has earned Egypt a reputation as a football powerhouse in Africa. At the end of the qualifying stages, The Pharaohs topped the group with 12 points, marking the first time in the team’s history that they have achieved four consecutive wins in the AFCON qualifiers.

The country is known for its passionate football culture and a record seven-time African champions, has produced some of Africa’s most talented players including: Mohamed Salah, Ibrahim Adel, standout winger Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, and Ahmed Hegazi. 

Prospects for AFCON 2025

The Pharaoh's footballing pedigree means that expectations for success are always high. After leaving fans disappointed with their 1-1 draw against Botswana in the sixth round of the group stage, Egypt must already be refining its strategy ahead of its first match in Morocco towards solidifying its legacy as one of Africa’s most successful footballing nations.

Under the guidance of a relatively experienced coaching staff and with the likes of Mohamed Salah continuing to lead the team, Egypt is poised to be one of the frontrunners in AFCON 2025. However, there are challenges: recent performances have shown that the team has struggled at times to adapt to new playing styles, especially against more dynamic and tactical teams. The Pharaohs will need to enhance their squad depth and tactical flexibility.

In terms of prospects, Egypt remains a favorite in the tournament due to its well-rounded squad and the leadership of established figures. However, the team will need to be more consistent, especially in the knockout stages, where recent tournaments have seen Egypt falter.

Botswana: The Underdogs with Growing Potential

This will be Botswana’s second qualification for the AFCON tournament, following their debut in 2012 when their appearance ended in a group-stage exit. Returning to the continental stage after a 12-year absence is enough motivation for the Zebras, as Botswana’s senior men’s national football team is called, to cause some upset in AFCON 2025.

Despite that the team has yet to make a deep run in the tournament, and their footballing infrastructure is still in its developmental stages, Botswana’s football is growing, with increased investment in youth development, better training facilities, and more competitive local leagues.

Prospects for AFCON 2025

Botswana punched their ticket to the AFCON finals by finishing second in the highly competitive Group C pulling its weight against heavyweights Egypt, Cape Verde, and a resolute Mauritania. Despite unique challenges posed by each opponents, the Zebras held their ground against the Pharaohs, emerging from the qualifiers with eight points showing glimpses of brilliance, resilience and tactical discipline. 

This goes to show that the land of nature and picturesque landscape will not be a push over while basking under the North African sun. Its prospects are further brightened by the promise the side has shown through younger players who are gaining experience in domestic and international competitions. Players like Kabelo Seakanyeng and Ofentse Nato represent the new wave of talent that could propel the Zebras to greater heights.

For Botswana to progress beyond the group stages, they will however need to build on their defensive solidity and improve in attack. Given their history of being underdogs, a solid group-stage performance would be considered a significant achievement. However, they face strong competition from higher-ranked teams, so realistic expectations should be tempered, with progression to the knockout stages seen as a great success.

Mauritania: Struggling to Find Consistency

The men’s senior national team of Mauritania, known as the "Mourabitounes" or “the Lions of Chinguetti” has made notable strides in recent years in African football, but are yet to establish themselves as a consistent powerhouse. The country qualified for its first AFCON in 2019 and has made subsequent appearances, but their performances have largely been underwhelming, with the team often struggling to compete at the highest level. In the qualifying stages for AFCON 2025, Mauritania finished third, securing seven points from the six matches it played.

This goes to show that Mauritania’s football is still developing, and the national team remains a mix of domestic and foreign-based players. Recently, the Mauritania Football Federation (FFRIM) announced the mutual termination of its contract with national team coach Amir Abdou and appointed Spanish coach Aritz López Garai to lead the local national team into AFCON 2025.

Prospects for AFCON 2025

Coach Garai will be working towards justifying his appointment during the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. Hard as he tries, the side’s prospects will largely depend on their ability to improve their consistency and create a more competitive squad. While they have shown flashes of potential in recent tournaments, Mauritania's lack of experience at the continental level has been evident. For the Mourabitounes to make a significant impact, they will need to bolster their midfield and attack to complement their defensive efforts.

The national team’s primary challenge lies in its inability to maintain strong performances against more established African teams. Although Mauritania’s defensive play has been relatively solid, they struggle to break down strong opposition, often leaving them vulnerable in attacking situations. If they can work on these areas, Mauritania could cause an upset or even make it past the group stages.

Their realistic aim for AFCON 2025 would be to replicate their qualification and focus on developing a squad that could compete more effectively. However, making it to the knockout stages will likely remain a distant hope unless significant improvements are made.

Cape Verde: A Rising Force in African Football

Cape Verde, with a population of a little over half a million, is trying to establish itself as a competitive force in African football. The "Blue Sharks" have qualified for AFCON on several occasions, with their best performance coming in 2013 when they reached the quarter-finals. The island nation boasts a strong squad, with a mixture of experienced players from Europe and local talent. The national team has made significant progress due to a focus on improving their youth development systems, as well as a steady increase in player quality.

Prospects for AFCON 2025

The Cape Verdean side, managed by Bubista, has emerged as a delight to watch given their solid tactical approach, team bonding, compact defending and the creative abilities of players like Julio Tavares, Ryan Mendes and Kevin Rogério make them a tough opponent for any team. With a squad that combines youth and experience including the former Manchester United forward Bebe who scored a 40-yard free-kick against Mozambique during the qualifiers, Cape Verde has the potential to make a deep run in AFCON 2025. In the final Group C standing, this side came up with four points from the six matches it played. 

To go further in the tournament, the Blue Sharks will need to add more attacking potency to their game, as they tend to rely on a counter-attacking style. With a solid midfield and defense, their prospects depend largely on how effectively they can break down stronger teams and create goal-scoring opportunities.

The Blue Sharks’ growing reputation and competitiveness make them dark horses in AFCON 2025. But following their unexpected victory against tournament favorite Ghana and the convincing win against Mozambique at the qualifying stages, the Cape Verdean side has emerged as a strong contender in AFCON 2025. Football enthusiasts and observers can already see the possibility of this composed and versatile team replicating the historic achievement of Zambia in the 2012 AFCON.