By DailySports Nigeria on January 19, 2026

The biennial continental soccer fiesta was played over 29 days. It started on December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco, making it the first edition held over the Christmas and New Year period.

The tournament started with the opening match on December 21, 2025, and concluded with the final on January 18, 2026, with Senegal defeating the host country, Morocco.

A total of 24 countries participated in the torunament with teams divided into six groups for the initial stage before advancing to the knockout rounds.

The countries in the six groups were:

Group A (Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros), Group B (Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe)

Group C (Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania), Group D (Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana)

Group E (Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan),

Group F (Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique).

In the match. Nigeria’s Super Eagles have earned N3.56b for finishing third, following a 4–2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt in the bronze medal play-off in Casablanca.

The match ended 0–0 in regulation time, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerging as the hero, saving two spot-kicks to secure Nigeria’s ninth AFCON third-place finish.

Senegal were crowned champions for the second time in their history, edging hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time in a dramatic final in Rabat.

The decisive goal came just three minutes into extra time when Pape Gueye struck a stunning left-footed effort from the edge of the area, silencing the packed stadium.

Prize money for the 2025 edition saw a significant increase, with Confederation of African Football, CAF president Patrice Motsepe announcing a record $10m (N14.23b) for Senegal, the champions, up from $7m (N9.96b) in 2023.

The runner-up Morocco received $4m (N5.69b), Nigeria got $2.5m (N3.56b) while fourth-placed Egypt earned $1.3m (N1.85b).

Quarter-finalists were awarded $800,000 (N1.14b) each.

Teams finishing third in their group received $700,000 (N996m), and fourth in the group earned $500,000 (N711m).

The financial boost reflects CAF’s ongoing efforts to grow African football and improve the rewards for national teams.

Motsepe highlighted the progression at a pre-tournament briefing at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium, noting, “It was less than $5m before 2023, and we increased it to $7m. So, if you win, you’ll get $10m, and that’s the key objective as we move forward. We will continue to increase the prize money for the most important competition in Africa.”

Nigeria’s bronze medal performance came after a tense penalty shootout, where Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman all converted for the Super Eagles.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush failed to find the net, allowing Nigeria to secure the win.

The victory not only added to the Super Eagles’ impressive third-place record but also earned the team a substantial prize, emphasising the financial rewards of success at Africa’s premier football tournament.

Source DailySports Nigeria

Posted January 19, 2026

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