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The African Cup of Nations 2025 opened in Morocco with much fanfare and familiar tensions: footballing drama on the field, political subtext off it, and for South Africans—an awkward reminder of how scheduling can still marginalise the continent’s southernmost power.
It began on December 21st, in Casablanca, with the host nation Morocco dispatching Comoros 2-0 in a straightforward Group A opener. But while the footballing spectacle has resumed in its full glory across lush North African stadiums, many South African viewers will find themselves watching reruns instead of live drama.
Indeed, one of the most glaring issues around the AFCON 2025 launch is logistical, not tactical: most matches are scheduled according to GMT, making prime-time evening games in Morocco inconvenient late-night events for audiences in South Africa—sometimes kicking off past 9 PM local time.
In a region where power outages, streaming limitations and time zones already fragment access to major sports events, this detail is more than cosmetic. It reveals a tournament that, once again, seems calibrated for Euro-African consumption, with the continent’s south treated as an afterthought.
Football returns to its royal courts
Hosted across six elite Moroccan venues—from the Grand Stade de Marrakech to Casablanca’s Mohammed V Stadium—the tournament boasts strong contenders, old rivalries, and geopolitical undertones.
South Africa’s own Bafana Bafana kicked off their campaign in Group B against Angola on December 22 at 20h GMT, a 10 PM slot in Johannesburg. This inconvenient scheduling continues in their second clash, a crucial match against Egypt on December 26.
Other early marquee matchups include:
- Senegal vs Botswana (Group D) on December 23
- Nigeria vs Tunisia (Group C) on December 27
- Cameroon vs Ivory Coast (Group F) on December 28
Group F has been dubbed the “Group of Fire” by analysts, with Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Mozambique battling for supremacy.
24 nations, one crown—and a crowded calendar
The expanded 24-nation format continues to stretch the AFCON calendar. Matches run from December 21 to January 18, overlapping with both Christmas and New Year holidays. This introduces another headache for southern hemisphere viewers: divided attention.
While North African audiences can settle into prime-time habits, South Africans will need to choose between late-night football and family time—or worse, sleep and security.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s Round of 16 begins on January 3rd, with semi-finals set for January 14 and the final on January 18 at 19h GMT (21h in South Africa).
South Africa’s uphill battle
Drawn into a challenging group with Egypt, Zimbabwe and Angola, South Africa’s road to the knockouts is anything but guaranteed. The match against Zimbabwe on December 29 will be closely watched, both for political overtones and tactical stakes.
The team must navigate not just opponents, but also the psychological weight of a fanbase too often let down in past tournaments—and now made drowsy by late kickoff times.
CAF’s northward gaze
Once again, the Confederation of African Football’s continental focus seems tilted northwards. Morocco’s infrastructure is world-class, no doubt. But the decision to schedule matches in ways that overlook southern African time realities fuels ongoing complaints about regional imbalance in CAF decision-making.
With growing calls for a return to more regionally balanced hosting and broadcasting arrangements, this tournament—despite its sporting promise—may deepen existing divides.
