The road to Morocco for the 2025 AFCON tournament resumed this September after a thrilling opening round saw a mix of shocking and expected results. Group favourites like Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cameroon are hoping to solidify their tournament dominance, while other strong teams like Senegal and Ghana are eager to bounce back from their failures in their opening games.
The 2021 AFCON Champions Senegal managed to bounce back against a well-organized Burundi with a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half penalty score by Ismaila Sarr. Senegal remains among the favourites alongside Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Morocco. However, Nigeria was held to a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rwanda in Kigali, which might affect their chances of winning the 202 AFCON tournament.
Here is a look at the 2025 AFCON tournament favourite odds so far.
2025 AFCON Tournament Favourites
Senegal (+550)
The 2021 AFCON championship title defence fell short in the Round of 16. Following their perfect group stage campaign, the Lions of Teranga finished off a lumbering Ivory Coast that had fired their manager mid-tournament. However, this will likely be the last tournament for their Golden Generation side led by Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane, and Edouard Mendy.
Besides these three players, Senegal has proven they still have a talented lineup with their recent 1-0 victory against Burundi. Burundi started the match strongly by pressuring Senegal in the opening minutes, but the Lions of Teranga soon found their rhythm to dominate 70% of the possessions by the end of the game. However, the AFCON champions struggled to break down Burundi’s resilience despite their control.
Ivory Coast (+750)
At +750 odds on leading bookmakers at Cheekypunter.com, the AFCON defending champions Ivory Coast are on course to ensure they will be ready to defend their title in 202. The title holders beat Chad 2-0 in their last fixture in neutral Cameroon to stand three points clear at the top of Group G. The Elephants started their campaign with a 2-0 home victory against Zambia during the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, boking another 2-0 win over Chad.
During their last tournament, Ivory Coast needed some fortune to reach the finals after suffering a humiliating loss in the group stage. The Elephants were saved by the results recorded by other groups and they managed to bounce back by eliminating Senegal. Manager Emerse Fae’s men will meet Sierra Leone in October and they are expected to comfortably cruise past both matches with a win.
Morocco (+700)
Coach Walid Regragui’s side is currently the only African team that has reached a World Cup semi-final before. While their 2023 campaign wasn’t impressive, the 2025 AFCON hosts hope to claim the title next year. Morocco fell from the competition in the Round of 1 after losing to South Africa, nullifying players like Youssef En-Nesyi and Achraf Hakimi. However, the Atlas Lions have a solid chance of lifting the title next year after dominating Group F with wins over Gabon and Lesotho.