Eight countries made their way into the quarter-final stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after thrilling results in the round of 16 that ended on Tuesday.

Host nation Morocco remain strong contenders as they continue their quest for continental glory on home soil. They are joined by defending champions Cote d’Ivoire, alongside African heavyweights Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Mali and Senegal.

With just eight teams left standing, attention now turns to form, momentum, and overall performance heading into the quarter-final clashes.

Sports Talk has analysed the remaining contenders, ranking the qualified teams based on their performances in the last round by highlighting the strongest sides as well as those who may need to improve to lift the coveted AFCON trophy.

Winners

Djigui Diarra stands tall for Mali

Mali progressed into the last-eight of the tournament, thanks to Djigui Diarra’s heroics as he saved two penalties in their shoot-out victory against Tunisia.

Diarra commanding presence was the difference for 10-man Mali after Tom Saintfiet’s side held Tunisia 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of play. He made three crucial saves during and clutch saves in the shoot-out as they set-up a clash with Senegal.

Diallo’s exceptional once again for Cote d’Ivoire

For the third time at the AFCON 2025, the Manchester United star took home the Man of the Match award after spearheading Cote d’Ivoire’s 3-0 thrashing of Burkina Faso.

Diallo opened the scoring for the Elephants in the 20th minute and he laid the assist for Yan Diomande to double the lead, a few minutes later.

The 23-year-old has contributed three goals and an assist in four appearances for Emerse Fae’s team who are aiming to retain the African title.

Algeria’s tactical masterclass standout

Vladimir Petkovic’s tactical genius made the difference for Algeria in their hard-fought 1-0 victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a keenly contested encounter, the Bosnian coach introduced super-substitute Adil Boulbina to add more intensity into the match which paid off with his last-minute stunning strike.

Petkovic’s timely decisions to replace fatigued players like Riyad Mahrez and Ismael Bennacer can’t be overlooked as it provided the Desert Foxes with alternative options to break the resolute DR Congo side.

Losers

Egypt struggle to impress against Benin

The record winners of the Africa Cup of Nations struggled to beat Benin in the round of 16, as they needed extra time to secure a 3-1 win and advance into the quarter-final.

It was not the best of performances for Hossam Hassan’s team but late goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Salah were enough to secure their passage.

The Pharaohs failed to convert their early chances against Benin and would need to be more clinical in front of goal when they face a disciplined Cote d’Ivoire team on Saturday.

Morocco disappoint in narrow Tanzania win

Morocco narrowly survived a national shock against Tanzania as Brahim Diaz’s 64th-minute goal separated the two teams in Rabat.

Walid Regragui’s team dominated proceedings from kick-off but found it difficult to break the Taifa Stars with clear cut chances.

Monday’s result was further proof that the Atlas Lions are struggling to meet Moroccans’ expectations and they would need to put more efforts in their style of play when they face Cameroon on Friday.