Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has warned that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is about to take a dramatic turn as the tournament enters its quarter-final stage.
Reacting to the narrative surrounding AFCON 2025, Oliseh agreed that the competition has largely gone according to expectations so far, with Africa’s traditional powerhouses dominating the group and round-of-16 stages.
However, he believes the predictability will not last.The AFCON 1994 winner with Nigeria was responding to a post on X by BBC Sport broadcaster John Bennett, who noted that the tournament has produced no major upsets heading into the last eight.
“Spot on. So far, no huge surprises yet! But this is where it ends!” Oliseh wrote, hinting that the knockout rounds will finally unleash the unpredictability the tournament is famous for.
Heavyweights dominate AFCON 2025 so farBennett’s observation highlighted that all eight quarter-finalists were drawn from the top two seeding pots used for the group-stage draw.
Pot 1 consisted of Africa’s highest-ranked nations and the host country Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and defending champions Ivory Coast.
Pot 2 featured Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso.
As expected, all six Pot 1 teams have progressed to the quarter-finals, joined by Cameroon and Mali, widely considered the strongest sides from Pot 2.
The result is a last-eight line-up packed with pedigree and experience, leaving no room for traditional underdogs.
AFCON 2025, hosted by Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, features 24 teams competing across six groups.
Unlike previous editions that delivered early shocks, this year’s tournament has seen the continent’s giants safely negotiate the early hurdles.
Blockbuster quarter-finals promise fireworksThat trend now sets the stage for a series of high-stakes quarter-final clashes, where reputations will be tested and fine margins could decide outcomes.
Quarter-final fixtures (WAT):
Mali vs Senegal: January 9, 5:00 PM, Grand Stade de Tanger (Tangier) Cameroon vs Morocco: January 9, 9:00 PM, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (Rabat) Nigeria vs Algeria: January 10, 5:00 PM, Stade de Marrakech (Ouahat Sidi Brahim) Egypt vs Ivory Coast: January 10, 8:00 PM, Stade Adrar (Agadir)
With Africa’s biggest football nations now set to face each other, Oliseh’s warning may prove prophetic. If the early rounds were calm and calculated, the quarter-finals are expected to deliver the first real shocks of AFCON 2025.
