The 5 events that marked African sports in 2025

1- AFCON 2025 in Morocco: The continental meeting of the year

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations has established itself as the most mediatized African sports event of 2025. Morocco hosts for the second time in its history (after 1988) this flagship competition of African football, in a new format: the first AFCON in history to take place during the Christmas and New Year period, from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.  

This exceptional calendar results from the conflict with the new FIFA Club World Cup expanded to 32 teams, initially planned for June-July 2025.  CAF has therefore repositioned its flagship tournament on this winter window, creating an unprecedented configuration for the 24 qualified nations.

The infrastructure deployed reflects Morocco’s ambition: 9 stadiums in 6 cities, including the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat (69,500 seats) for the opening match between Morocco and Comoros and the final. In November 2025, the country inaugurated three new stadiums in just two days, including the Grand Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, which seats 75,000 and is now the largest in the kingdom. 

The financial endowment has significantly increased: 7 million dollars for the winner (against 4 million in 2021), out of a total envelope of 32 million.  The favourites are clearly identified: Morocco, first African in the FIFA ranking (11th in the world), is looking to end a 49-year drought (last title in 1976), Côte d'Ivoire the defending champion and Egypt of Mohamed Salah, seven-time historic winner.

Striking fact: Ghana, the quadruple champion of Africa, missed the qualification for the first time since 2004, illustrating the generational renewal underway on the continent.

2- World Cup 2026 qualifications: Africa scores a record 9 places

The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has given Africa its greatest representation in history: 9 guaranteed places, plus a potential tenth via intercontinental play-offs.  This quantitative revolution was accompanied by major surprises that electrified the continent throughout the year.

Cape Verde created the most resounding event by obtaining its first World Cup qualification in its history, thanks to a 1-0 victory against Cameroon in September 2025. For this small archipelago of 600,000 inhabitants, this qualification represents the culmination of a remarkable football development, passed from total anonymity to the world stage in less than two decades.

The nine directly qualified African teams are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Ghana and Cape Verde.  Algeria stood out with 8 wins in 10 matches and the top scorer in African qualifiers: Mohamed Amoura with 10 goals.  Tunisia set a record by qualifying for their 17th consecutive international competition. 

The shock of these qualifiers remains the elimination of Nigeria and Cameroon, two historical giants of African football. The Super Eagles lost in the penalty shootout against DR Congo during the final of the play-offs held in Morocco in November 2025. The DRC, qualified for the intercontinental play-offs in March 2026, may still become the tenth African nation at the World Cup.

The qualifiers generated 259 matches and 648 goals (2.5 goals per match on average), confirming the offensive show of African football.

3- Beatrice Chebet sprays the 14-minute barrier at 5000m

The evening of July 5, 2025 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene (Oregon) will remain engraved in the history of world athletics. Kenyan Beatrice Chebet became the first woman in history to run the 5000m in less than 14 minutes, setting a new world record of 13:58.06.  

This revolutionary performance lowers the previous record of Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay (14:00.21, established in 2023) by more than two seconds. Chebet, 25 years old, now holds the three most prestigious world records in women’s distance: 5000m, 10,000m (28:54.14) and 5 km on the road.

The same evening, Faith Kipyegon improved her own 1500m world record in 3:48.68, creating a historic night for Kenyan athletics.  Kipyegon, 31 years old, thus established her third world record in this distance, confirming her status as the greatest half-cross sprinter in history with her 4 consecutive world titles, an absolute record in a long distance event.

At the World Championships in Tokyo (13-21 September 2025), Africa confirmed its domination. Kenya ranked 2nd in the medal table with 118 points, behind the USA.  Beatrice Chebet achieved the 5000m-10000m double, repeating her Olympic achievement at Paris 2024. 

Botswana created the sensation with its first world title in the 400m (Busang Collen Kebinatshipi in 43.53 seconds) and especially its historic triumph in the men’s 4x400m, a first African team champion of the world in this event, beating the United States. The government of Botswana has declared a national holiday to celebrate this achievement.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya), Olympic and world champion in the 800m at only 21 years old, was elected World Athletics Track Athlete of the Year 2025. 

4. The Springboks make history with a double title at the Rugby Championship

The South African rugby team achieved an unprecedented feat in the country’s history: winning the Rugby Championship for the second consecutive year. Never before, neither in the era of the Tri-Nations nor in that of the Rugby Championship, had the Springboks chained two titles. 

The decisive victory came in the final match against Argentina at Twickenham (4 October 2025), 29-27.  In the final ranking, South Africa leads New Zealand with an impressive difference in points (+57 vs +8).  The Springboks also kept the Freedom Cup against the All Blacks for the first time in 21 years. 

The 2025 season of the Springboks has a remarkable record with victories against all the great nations: 43 points scored in Auckland, the highest score for a visiting team in New Zealand, and a perfect autumn tour with 5 wins in 5 matches, including a 73-0 against Wales. 

The Springbok Women also made history during the World Cup in England. For the first time, the South African women’s team reached the quarter-finals with historic victories against Brazil (66-6, 10 tries) and Italy (29-24). In the quarter, the South Africans caught up 10-10 with New Zealand at halftime before losing 17-46.  The team climbed from 12th to 10th place in the world, its best ranking since 2011.

These collective performances confirm South Africa as the dominant nation in world rugby, always first in the World Rugby ranking. The coach Rassie Erasmus saw his contract extended.

5- Angola triumphs at home: AfroBasket 2025, the consecration of an entire people

The 31st edition of the AfroBasket (12-24 August 2025) offered one of the most intense moments of collective emotion of the African sports year. Angola, four times host of the tournament, won their 12th continental title, an absolute record. They dominated Mali 70-43 in the final in Luanda. 

This coronation ends 12 years of waiting for the Palancas Negras, whose last title dates back to 2013. The Angolan team achieved a perfect record of 6 victories in 6 matches, the only undefeated team of the tournament. The fact that this triumph took place at home, in front of an Angolan audience in fusion, has increased its emotional impact tenfold.

Childe Dundao, the smallest player in the tournament with his 1.68 m, was elected MVP, symbol of a team that has been able to transcend physical logics through its game intelligence and collective cohesion. President João Lourenço, present in the stands for the final, announced a program to build 12 new gyms across the country to capitalize on this momentum. 

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025 also marked the spirits with the historic victory of Al Ahli Tripoli, the first Libyan club to win the competition during his debut in the tournament.  Three months later, the Libyan club became the first African team to reach the FIBA Continental Cup podium. 

A continent that asserts itself on all terrains

The year 2025 confirms several structuring trends for African sport. Morocco establishes itself as the continental sports hub, hosting the men’s CAN, the women’s AFCON (WAFCON, July 2025, won by Nigeria 3-2 against the host country) and preparing to co-organize the 2030 World Cup, second World Cup on African soil after that of South Africa in 2010. 

The professionalization of women’s competitions is accelerating: CAF has doubled the allocation for WAFCON (1 million dollars for the winner) and increased by 52% the prizes of the Women’s Champions League.  AS FAR (Morocco), winner of this last competition, qualified for the first FIFA Women’s Club World Cup in 2026. 

Institutionally, CAF announced its first profit in years ($9.48 million), after having reduced an initial deficit of $45 million.  Patrice Motsepe was re-elected president without opposition for a second term. 

Seychelles hosted the first Beach Soccer World Cup organized in Africa (1-11 May 2025), with Senegal reaching 4th place.  These competitions extend the sports map of the continent beyond the traditionally dominant nations.

In the MMA, Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his UFC middleweight title in February before losing it in August to Khamzat Chimaev, confirming the emergence of South Africa in high-level combat sports.

The year 2025 has demonstrated that Africa is no longer content to participate: it dominates, innovates and attracts. With 9 teams at the 2026 World Cup, world records in athletics, and a rapidly expanding infrastructure, the continent is asserting itself as an essential global sporting power.