The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 tournament is poised to begin, offering a feast of football across the festive period. For the first time, fans across the United Kingdom will be able to watch every match completely free of charge.
Where to Watch AFCON for Free in the UK
Channel 4 has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the entire 2025 AFCON tournament, marking a historic first for free-to-air coverage in the UK. This means no subscription is required to follow the action.
All matches will be shown live across the Channel 4 network. Coverage will be split between the main Channel 4 channel, E4, and 4Seven to accommodate the busy schedule. For those preferring to stream online, every game will also be available via the official Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.
Pete Andrews, Channel 4's head of sport, stated: "Bringing the excitement and drama of the African Cup of Nations exclusively to UK free-to-air television for the first time is such a compelling proposition." He highlighted the draw of Premier League stars and noted that having "Liverpool legend Mo Salah on Channel 4 on Boxing Day" would ensure football fans get their festive fixture fix.
Premier League Stars on International Duty
The tournament has led to a significant exodus of talent from clubs across Europe, particularly the English Premier League. Key players like Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo), Amad (Ivory Coast), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), and Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) have all departed to represent their nations.
They are joined by other global stars such as Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi, ensuring the competition features some of the world's finest footballing talent. The tournament kicks off on Sunday, 21 December 2025, with host nation Morocco facing Comoros.
AFCON 2025: Full Group Stage Schedule
Below is the complete schedule for the AFCON 2025 group stage matches. All times are in GMT and every fixture is available to watch for free on the indicated Channel 4 platform.
Sunday, 21 December
- Morocco v Comoros - 7pm (E4/Channel 4)
Monday, 22 December
- Mali v Zambia - 2pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- South Africa v Angola - 5pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Egypt v Zimbabwe - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Tuesday, 23 December
- DR Congo v Benin - 12:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Senegal v Botswana - 3pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Nigeria v Tanzania - 5:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Tunisia v Uganda - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Wednesday, 24 December (Christmas Eve)
- Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea - 12:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Algeria v Sudan - 3pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Côte d'Ivoire v Mozambique - 5:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Cameroon v Gabon - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Friday, 26 December (Boxing Day)
- Angola v Zimbabwe - 12:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Egypt v South Africa - 3pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Zambia v Comoros - 5:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Morocco v Mali - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Saturday, 27 December
- Benin v Botswana - 12:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Senegal v DR Congo - 3pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Uganda v Tanzania - 5:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Nigeria v Tunisia - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Sunday, 28 December
- Gabon v Mozambique - 12:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Equatorial Guinea v Sudan - 3pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Algeria v Burkina Faso - 5:30pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Côte d'Ivoire v Cameroon - 8pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Monday, 29 December
- Angola v Egypt - 4pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Zimbabwe v South Africa - 4pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Zambia v Morocco - 7pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Comoros v Mali - 7pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Tuesday, 30 December
- Uganda v Nigeria - 4pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Tanzania v Tunisia - 4pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Botswana v DR Congo - 7pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Benin v Senegal - 7pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
Wednesday, 31 December (New Year's Eve)
- Equatorial Guinea v Algeria - 4pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Sudan v Burkina Faso - 4pm (Channel 4 Sport YouTube)
- Gabon v Côte d'Ivoire - 7pm (4Seven/Channel 4)
- Mozambique v Cameroon - 7pm (Channel 4 Sport YouTube)
With 24 nations competing and a packed schedule running from late December, AFCON 2025 promises to deliver high drama and world-class football throughout the holiday season, all accessible without any cost to viewers in the UK.
