Morocco Edition Breaks AFCON Record with Five Arab Nations in Last 16

1 January 2026
Morocco Edition Breaks AFCON Record with Five Arab Nations in Last 16

Assahafa.com

History was made at this year’s AFCON, with a record five Arab nations making it through to the knockout stage.

Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Sudan all progressed from the group phase to the next round, proving just how strong and competitive North African and Arab football has become lately. They’ve managed to break the previous record of four Arab teams in the Round of 16, a mark that was originally set during AFCON 2019 in Egypt.

On that occasion, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia all advanced to the knockout stage.

This strong performance shows how the progress the whole region has been making, with many teams finding a great balance between seasoned international stars and fresh domestic talent. As the hosts Morocco led the pack with a really confident run through the group stage.

Egypt and Algeria managed to bounce back from some early pressure to move on, and both Tunisia and Sudan navigated their tough groups well and reached the knockouts. Sudan’s qualification for the knockout stage was highly particular because they advanced without any of their own players scoring a single goal in the group stage.

Beyond just the statistics, the record points to a wider shift toward tactical maturity and better infrastructure within Arab football.

Source: Morocco word news

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