The continent's best footballers are preparing to descend on Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as the finals are held over Christmas and New Year for the first time.

The tournament kicks off on Sunday, 21 December when the hosts take on Comoros at Rabat's Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium at 19:00 GMT.

The pressure is on the Atlas Lions, who are Africa's highest-ranked nation at 11th in the world but have not won Afcon since 1976.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, who is still looking for his first title, will hope to captain Egypt to a record-extending eighth continental crown after finishing as a runner-up at the 2017 and 2021 editions.

But who does he face in the group stage? What is the format of the tournament? Where are matches being played and when do they kick off?

BBC Sport Africa provides you with all the information ahead of the 35th edition of Africa's biggest sporting event.

The 24 teams have been split into six groups of four, with the hosts in Group A alongside Mali, 2012 winners Zambia and Comoros.

Group F contains a heavyweight match-up, with holders Ivory Coast drawn alongside five-time champions Cameroon. Senegal against DR Congo in Group D also looks tasty.

Elsewhere, Egypt face 1996 winners South Africa in Group B, while Group C has an East African flavour, with Uganda and Tanzania taking on Nigeria and Tunisia.

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.

The top two in each group and the four best-ranked third-placed teams will advance to the last 16, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, a match for third place and the final to follow.

The opening match between Morocco and Comoros kicks off at 19:00 GMT, with three games the next day.

After that, the group stage, which runs until 31 December, offers fans a Christmas feast of football, with four matches every day.

Those games will be played at 12:30, 15:00, 17:30 and 20:00 (all times GMT), while the final round of group action will kick off at either 16:00 or 19:00.

The knockout stage, which predominantly features games at 16:00 and 19:00, begins on Saturday, 3 January.

The final on Sunday, 18 January will kick off at 19:00.

Morocco has pumped vast sums of money into renovating stadiums to host Afcon 2025 while also preparing to co-host the 2030 Fifa World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

Nine stadiums will be used in six host cities, with four venues in the capital Rabat.

With Afcon once again being played in the middle of the European season, a row has developed over when clubs will make players available to their national teams.

World governing body Fifa announced that the mandatory release date would be Monday, 15 December - seven days later than the usual timing before major tournaments.

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet described the ruling as "catastrophic" for preparations.

"Everyone in Europe thinks African football is not important," he added. "It shows a lack of respect and I'm angry."

Some clubs may attempt to come to ad-hoc arrangements with federations in order to keep players for longer.

For example, Manchester United play Bournemouth in the Premier League on 15 December and may aim to hold on to their Afcon-bound contingent of forward Bryan Mbuemo (Cameroon), winger Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and defender Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) for another 24 hours.

The hosts are the overwhelming favourites.

Morocco are on a winning run of 18 consecutive victories - a world record in international football - stretching back to March 2024.

That 20-month streak has seen the Atlas Lions score 50 goals and concede just four.

Senegal, champions at Afcon 2021, have been playing impressive football this year under Pape Thiaw, and although the Teranga Lions lost to Brazil last month they immediately bounced back to beat Kenya 8-0.

Algeria, Egypt and holders Ivory Coast also went unbeaten through World Cup qualifying and the former two nations may back themselves in North African conditions.

Meanwhile, DR Congo come into the tournament on a high after seeing off Cameroon and Nigeria in Africa's 2026 World Cup play-offs.

But, with seven different winners in the past eight editions, the tournament is likely to provide plenty of surprises.

All times GMT

Sunday, 21 December

Group A: Morocco vs Comoros, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Monday, 22 December

Group A: Mali vs Zambia, Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca (14:00)

Group B: South Africa vs Angola, Grande Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech (17:00)

Group B: Egypt vs Zimbabwe, Grande Stade d'Agadir, Agadir (20:00)

Tuesday, 23 December

Group D: Senegal vs Botswana, Grande Stade de Tangier, Tangier (12:30)

Group D: DR Congo vs Benin, Stade El Barid, Rabat (15:00)

Group C: Nigeria vs Tanzania, Complexe Sportif de Fes, Fes (17:30)

Group C: Tunisia vs Uganda, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Wednesday, 24 December

Group E: Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea, Casablanca (12:30)

Group E: Algeria vs Sudan, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (15:00)

Group F: Ivory Coast vs Mozambique, Marrakech (17:30)

Group F: Cameroon vs Gabon, Agadir (20:00)

Friday, 26 December

Group B: Angola vs Zimbabwe, Marrakech (12:30)

Group B: Egypt vs South Africa, Agadir (15:00)

Group A: Zambia vs Comoros, Casablanca (17:30)

Group A: Morocco vs Mali, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Saturday, 27 December

Group D: Benin vs Botswana, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (12:30)

Group D: Senegal vs DR Congo, Tangier (15:00)

Group C: Uganda vs Tanzania, Stade El Barid, Rabat (17:30)

Group C: Nigeria vs Tunisia, Fes (20:00)

Sunday, 28 December

Group F: Gabon vs Mozambique, Agadir (12:30)

Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan, Casablanca (15:00)

Group E: Algeria vs Burkina Faso, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (17:30)

Group F: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon, Marrakech (20:00)

Monday, 29 December

Group B: Angola vs Egypt, Agadir (16:00)

Group B: Zimbabwe vs South Africa, Marrakech (16:00)

Group A: Comoros vs Mali, Casablanca (19:00)

Group A: Zambia vs Morocco, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Tuesday, 30 December

Group C: Tanzania vs Tunisia, Olympic Stadium, Rabat (16:00)

Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria, Fes (16:00)

Group D: Benin vs Senegal, Tangier (19:00)

Group D: Botswana vs DR Congo, Stade El Barid, Rabat (19:00)

Wednesday, 31 December

Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria, Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (16:00)

Group E: Sudan vs Burkina Faso, Casablanca (16:00)

Group F: Gabon vs Ivory Coast, Marrakech (19:00)

Group F: Mozambique vs Cameroon, Agadir (19:00)

Saturday, 3 January

SR1: Group D Winner vs 3rd Place Group B/E/F, Tangier (16:00)

SR2: Group A Second Place vs Group C Second Place, Casablanca (19:00)

Sunday, 4 January

SR3: Group A Winner vs 3rd Place Group C/D/E, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (16:00)

SR4: Group B Second Place vs Group F Second Place, Stade El Barid, Rabat (19:00)

Monday, 5 January

SR5: Group B Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/C/D, Agadir (16:00)

SR6: Group C Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/B/F, Fes (19:00)

Tuesday, 6 January

SR7: Group E Winner vs Group D Second Place, Complexe Sportif Prince Heretier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat (16:00)

SR8: Group F Winner vs Group E Second Place, Marrakech (19:00)

Friday, 9 January

QF1: Winner SR2 vs Winner SR1, Tangier (16:00)

QF2: Winner SR4 vs Winner SR3, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)

Saturday, 10 January

QF3: Winner SR7 vs Winner SR6, Marrakech (16:00)

QF4: Winner SR5 vs Winner SR8, Agadir (19:00)

Wednesday, 14 January

SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4, Tangier (17:00)

SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (20:00)

Saturday, 17 January

SF1 vs SF2 losers, Casablanca (16:00)

Sunday, 18 January

SF1 vs SF2 winners, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat (19:00)