RABAT, Morocco (AP) \u2014 Morocco hosts Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, ending a four-week tournament that showcased the continent\u2019s best soccer.<\/p>\n
Morocco will hope it also provided the best playing facilities, stadiums and infrastructure for a tournament on the continent as it continues its preparations to be a 2030 World Cup co-host.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s likely it will get another dry run before the global showpiece as host of the 2028 Africa Cup, brought forward a year to allow the Confederation of African Football to switch the competition to a four-year cycle<\/a> that brings it in line with FIFA\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n Few countries in Africa would be able to host the event at such short notice. Morocco, which has invested heavily in soccer and transport infrastructure, is also hosting three Women\u2019s Africa Cup tournaments in succession with the third beginning March 17.<\/p>\n A win in the men\u2019s showpiece Sunday would end a 50-year wait for the kingdom\u2019s second Africa Cup title and bring validation of sorts for the huge spending spree<\/a>. But the pressure is immense.<\/p>\n Senegal, the 2021 winner, is also going for its second title.<\/p>\n It\u2019s another duel of lions, between the Atlas Lions of Morocco and Teranga Lions of Senegal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s all you need to know about the final of the 35th edition:<\/p>\n Favorites meet<\/p>\n It has been a tournament of few surprises, and no one will be shocked to the two top-ranked African teams contest the final \u2014 world No. 11 Morocco vs. No. 19 Senegal. Both are likely to climb in the FIFA rankings when the next update is issued Monday.<\/p>\n Both teams have played all their six games so far in the same stadium, with Morocco buoyed by vociferous home support in the 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is also hosting the final.<\/p>\n For Senegal, which played every game in Tangier, it will be its first match of the tournament in another stadium.<\/p>\n Star players<\/p>\n Forget Achraf Hakimi, the 2025 African Footballer of the Year \u2014 the undisputed star of the tournament so far has been Morocco\u2019s No. 10, Brahim D\u00edaz, who scored in each of the team\u2019s first five games. If D\u00edaz scores again in the final, he would join Ahmed Faras as Morocco\u2019s joint-top scorer at an Africa Cup. Faras, the 1975 African Footballer of the Year, is the country\u2019s top scorer altogether with 36 goals.<\/p>\n To be fair to Hakimi, he missed the team\u2019s first two games as he recovered from an ankle injury<\/a>, going on as a substitute in the third. He has since played every game in the knockout stage and created 10 chances, the most for a Moroccan player.<\/p>\n Senegal\u2019s Sadio Man\u00e9 has created 18 chances, the most in the tournament. The two-time African Footballer of the Year (2019, 2022) scored against Egypt in the semifinal<\/a> \u2014 his 11th Africa Cup goal.<\/p>\n Man\u00e9 led Senegal to victory in 2021 and will want to sign off with another win in what is likely his last game in the competition.<\/p>\n Defenses on top<\/p>\n Morocco has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far \u2014 a penalty scored by Mali\u2019s Lassine Sinayoko in the group stage.<\/p>\n Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has conceded only two \u2014 against Congo and Sudan, and the Teranga Lions more than one goal in a game since a 2-2 draw with Algeria in 2017. From its last 22 Africa Cup games, Senegal has not conceded in 15.<\/p>\n Suspensions<\/p>\n Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly is out because of an accumulation of yellow cards. It\u2019s his second suspension of the tournament<\/a> after a red card in the group stage, and it will be the second final he misses through suspension after the 2019 final, which Senegal lost to Algeria. Koulibaly\u2019s semifinal was cut short by injury, so it\u2019s uncertain if he could have played.<\/p>\n Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra is also suspended because of yellow cards. He was booked in the semifinal win over Egypt for arguing.<\/p>\n Morocco has no suspensions.<\/p>\n World Cup next<\/p>\n Both teams have qualified for the World Cup this year. However, Senegal supporters are unsure whether they can attend the team\u2019s first two games<\/a> in the United States because of a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n The Teranga Lions play their first match against France in New Jersey on June 16, four days before facing Norway in the same stadium. Senegal will face a playoff winner between Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq in Toronto for its final group game on June 26.<\/p>\n Morocco is in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. Moroccan fans will not be impacted by the travel ban.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n