Name: Atlas Lions roar into AFCON final to set up clash with Senegal
Uploaded: 2026-01-15T13:14:26.456Z
Duration: 5 min
Description: Morocco is in full celebration mode as the Africa Cup of Nations reaches its decisive stage, with football fever gripping both Casablanca and Rabat.

Morocco is in full celebration mode as the Africa Cup of Nations reaches its decisive stage, with football fever gripping both Casablanca and Rabat.

Rabat

Morocco's Atlas Lions secured a place in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final after defeating Nigeria in a tense semi-final decided by penalties. The match, held in Rabat, saw Moroccan fans celebrating nationwide as their team advanced to face Senegal in the final.

The broadcast also highlighted the vibrant atmosphere in Moroccan cities during the tournament, including cultural events and visits to the Moroccan Football Museum. The AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal is scheduled for January 18th, while Egypt and Nigeria will compete for third place on January 17th.

Atlas Lions roar into AFCON final to set up clash with Senegal

Fly for the passion of football with Royal Air Morocco. Hello everybody, I'm Mohamed Elashi from Casablanca. And I'm Anna Kayola in Rabat. And welcome to Football Now Afghan Special. It's a big day, semi-final day with both matches happening today. You can really feel it, can't you? Absolutely. The city is buzzing. Not just around the stadiums, but everywhere. So what have you been up to over the past couple of days, Anna? Just exploring the city. While the tournament is on, there's a whole other energy here. Art, culture, creativity everywhere. I discovered the Abla Ababu Gallery, a contemporary art space that brings together creativity, dialogue and culture. During AFKON, the gallery is hosting Jeux d'Artistes, a collective exhibition that explores play as a universal language from sport and strategy to memory, ritual and emotion. Art has an impact. It breaks boundaries. We are all the same when it comes to creativity. We realize that we are so similar despite our differences. There is always a certain universality. I think it's a way to bring people together and give them pleasure. The country is gearing up for the second semi-final. Morocco against Nigeria here in Rabat. How's the atmosphere over there in Royal Air Morocco fan zone in Casablanca, Mohamed? It's a very special one here. The design is fantastic. The entrance looks like an airplane cabin and fans are getting a full immersive experience. At the first time, we know that the game was very difficult. We didn't have a lot of chances to score a goal. But at the second time, our team, our players took the ball. Our players controlled the game and made a beautiful goal that reached us in the final. What a match! Senegal goes through at the expense of the Faroes. Wow, the images coming from fans here are wild. Speaking of Morocco, have you been exploring the country beyond football over the past few days? Haven't you, Mohamed? Yeah, the Moroccan Football Museum in Rabat. Its director, Zaid Wakhrim, gave me a really cool tour. From the moment you step in, From the moment you step in, the museum pulls you into Moroccan football. It's not just about trophies, it's about decades of achievements for men and women. We have this timeline with the most important events in the history of Moroccan football since the beginning of the past century. The museum traces the history of Moroccan football, celebrating its players and moments that made the country proud. Moroccan-African Golden Balls from Faras, won in 1975, Timomi in 1985, Zaghi in 1986, and Hajji in 1980. So, what's next for the museum? Zaid told me that they plan to add another AFCON trophy if they win it, and they're hoping that they do. We'll have to see. And now, the scenes are wild. It's time for the showdown. The hosts, the Atlas Lions, taking on the Super Eagles. The match was crazy, because we didn't know until the end, and of course, we won. The penalty shoot-outs were very, very crazy. It's okay, we don't care about how we won. We want to see the final on Sunday. Inshallah, to bring back the trophy. From the fan zone here in Casablanca, Morocco win on penalties and reach the final. In Rabat, the reaction is huge. Celebration across the country tonight. Next up for the hosts, Senegal. Before that, the third-place playoff, Egypt against Nigeria on January 17th. The final follows on the 18th. Morocco versus Senegal. A massive showdown ahead. It's going to be one for the history books. We'll see you at the final. See you, Mohamed.

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