The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Benin Republic will kick off matchday three of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday.
It will be a long-awaited return for Benin after missing the 2021 and 2023 editions, with their last appearance at the AFCON coming in the 2019 tournament in Egypt, where they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in the country’s history.
After finishing fourth at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Congolese plan will be to improve on that performance by at least winning a medal in Morocco this time.
Speaking ahead of the match, Benin head coach Gernot Rohr said, “We are proud to be at this AFCON — players and staff alike,” he said. “The first step is to play a good match against DR Congo. Then we will push as far as we can, why not all the way to January 18?”
Meanwhile, DR Congo coach, Sébastien Desabre, stated, “I know Gernot Rohr very well. He is my senior. He tries to put the favourites’ tag on us, but we remain focused on ourselves. Regarding the squad, only Simon Banza will miss out.”
At Tangier Grand Stadium, later in the day, 2021 champions Senegal will take on Botswana. The Lions of Teranga are clearly one of the favourites to win this AFCON and are expected to maintain their status on the pitch against Botswana.
“The AFCON is the biggest competition on the continent and we have had good preparation. We will try to show a high level. We are ready for the match, a big match. We are ready to do the job,” Botswana head coach, Morena Ramoreboli, said at the press conference ahead of the match.
“We are very excited, we have a lot to prove on the pitch,” Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly said. “We know it will be very difficult, with a lot of adversity, but we are ready. I hope this competition will be a great celebration for Africa.”
In the third match of the day, three-time African champions Nigeria are ready to take on Tanzania at the Fes Stadium. At the pre-match press conference on Monday, Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, stressed that his team wants to win the game.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi also reiterated the desire to win the game against Tanzania, noting that it is needed to set the momentum for the remainder of the tournament.
However, Tanzania head coach Miguel Gamondi revealed there are tactical plans to neutralise the Super Eagles’ attacking threat. He, however, admitted that the game would be tough, adding that a win against Nigeria would feel like winning AFCON for the East African country.
Finally, Tunisia and Uganda will close the day with the second Group C match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The Ugandans’ arrival in Morocco has been shrouded in controversy after the team boycotted their first training session of the tournament over a payment dispute between the players and the federation.
“For every coach, a competition like this comes with a lot of pride and pressure to do our best because it is a historic event,” Tunisia head coach Samy Trabelsi said. “We want to be part of history. We are in a brotherly country, and we are impressed with the infrastructure. We are happy with the weather, which is similar to Tunisia. Our players are confident, focused, and ready to give their best.”
He added, “We are playing against quality opposition. The statistics are there, and we have faced challenges ahead of the competition. What we saw recently shows the reality of African football — every team is playing at a high level and can make things difficult.”
Uganda head coach, Paul Put, said, “We are very proud to be at this tournament. The infrastructure and organisation by CAF have been exceptional. We are not only playing to be watched by Africa, but by the whole world. The team is preparing well and focused on the game. I know my players better now, and they are gradually gelling into a strong side that will compete.”
