The Africa Cup of Nations will conclude with a final between hosts Morocco and Senegal, a matchup that pits the best team in North Africa against the best in sub-Saharan Africa. Morocco, World Cup semi-finalists in 2022, have reached the final on home soil, while Senegal have made it to three of the past four Afcon finals.
The tournament has been notable for its lack of upsets, with the better teams progressing throughout. The quarter-finals featured the eight highest-ranked sides, and the semi-finals were tightly contested, with only one goal separating the teams in each match. This predictability has drawn criticism, particularly for the group stage, where many qualifiers were decided early.
Sunday's final will mark only the second time this century that neither manager is foreign. Senegal's Pape Thiaw, born in Dakar, and Morocco's Walid Regragui, born in a Paris suburb, both have strong ties to their nations. Thiaw played professionally in France, while Regragui earned 44 caps for Morocco.
The influence of the African diaspora is significant, with roughly a third of all players at the tournament born outside Africa. Many players in both squads were born in France, Spain, the Netherlands, or Belgium, reflecting the success of European youth development systems.
Morocco have invested heavily in youth development, notably through the Mohammed VI football academy, which has produced key players for the national team. Senegal, meanwhile, will likely face a Moroccan side that sits deep and allows them possession, a challenge similar to their previous rounds.
