AFCON 2025 - Group E breakdown: Mahrez looks to replicate 2019 exploits in Morocco

The start of the Africa Cup of Nations is edging ever closer with only a matter of hours ahead of the hosts Morocco taking on Comoros at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat on Sunday night, and with every nation targeting the title currently held by Ivory Coast, the tournament will not be short of action as we take a closer look at how Group E is shaping up.

Algeria 

Caf ranking: 3rd

Coach: Vladimir Petkovic

Player to watch: Riyad Mahrez

Best AFCON performance: Champions

Tournament prediction: Semi-finals

The North African side will be chasing only their third AFCON crown, having previously lifted the trophy in 1990 and more recently in 2019 in Egypt. Entering the competition with one of the most well-balanced squads, featuring players who possess individual brilliance through their exposure to some of the top leagues around the world, Les Fennecs arrive at this tournament following two underwhelming AFCON outings in 2021 and 2023, where they exited at the group stage despite their relatively recent success.

Following the departure of Djamel Belmadi, the former Switzerland head coach Petkovic guided the team to qualification for next year’s World Cup, and with both AFCON and the global showpiece central to the reason for his appointment, this competition will represent his first major tournament test since taking charge.

Burkina Faso

Caf ranking: 12th

Coach: Brama Traore

Player to watch: Betrand Traore

Best AFCON performance: Runners up

Tournament prediction: Round of 16

The Stallions have been regular participants at AFCON but are still searching for their maiden title, with a silver medal at the 2013 tournament in South Africa representing their best-ever finish.

They head into this edition with a strong sense of optimism, particularly after finishing third in 2017 and fourth in 2021, and are considered strong contenders to reach the last 16 in a group where Algeria are also heavily fancied.

The West African nation enters the competition with significant expectations placed on coach Traoré, who succeeded French coach Hubert Velud after his contract was not renewed following the team’s exit at the 2023 AFCON, where they were eliminated by Mali.

Having previously been part of the technical setup before assuming the head coach role, Traore will be under pressure to guide the country to its first AFCON crown.

Equatorial Guinea

Caf ranking: 21st

Coach: Juan Micha

Player to watch: Emilio Nsue

Best AFCON performance: Fourth place

Tournament prediction: First round exit

After missing out on qualification for the 2017 and 2019 editions, Equatorial Guinea have responded strongly by qualifying for the last two tournaments, as well as the upcoming edition to be staged in North Africa.

Known for being one of the most difficult teams to face at the tournament, having previously recorded wins over several heavyweight nations, head coach Micha will be relying on the talent within his squad to push them forward and better their best-ever finish of fourth place, with key figures including Torino’s Saul Coco and Huddersfield Town’s Charles Ondo leading the way.

This will be Equatorial Guinea’s third consecutive tournament under Micha’s leadership, and having failed to secure qualification for the World Cup, their focus will be firmly on producing a positive campaign, with the coach challenging his players to go as far as possible in this edition.

Sudan

Caf ranking: 31st

Coach: James Appiah

Player to watch: Mohamed Abdelrahman

Best AFCON performance: Champions 

Tournament prediction: First round exit

Sudan have endured a difficult past decade, with the 2021 edition being the only occasion they qualified for the tournament, where they were eliminated at the group stage.

In spite of their recent struggles, the North-East African nation are former champions who will head into the competition carrying an underdog label. Since lifting the title in 1970, they have progressed no further than the quarterfinals, recording five group-stage exits alongside several failures to qualify and withdrawals from the tournament.

Despite their low ranking and the low-profile status they arrive with, coach Appiah has insisted that his team is not attending merely to make up the numbers but rather to challenge every opponent they face.