Senegal vs Morocco prediction 18.01.2026 | Africa Cup of Nations
Senegal
Kick off:
Date:
Morocco
1
3.70
X
2.90
2
2.28
Contents
- Competition: Africa Cup of Nations, Final
- Date: Sunday, 18th January, 2026
- Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET
- Venue: Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah (Rabat)
The 35th Africa Cup of Nations has reached its end, with Senegal set to face the host nation, Morocco, in a final showdown. Senegal aims to capture the AFCON title for the second time in their history, while Morocco seeks a historic first triumph - and the chance to lift the trophy in front of their home fans.
Let's break down the game and find the best possible bet for the AFCON final.
Senegal vs Morocco Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Morocco
5 : 3
Senegal
African Nations Championship
-
Morocco
3 : 1
Senegal
Friendly International
-
Morocco
0 : 1
Senegal
Friendly International
-
Senegal
0 : 2
Morocco
Friendly International
-
Morocco
3 : 0
Senegal
Friendly International
These teams last faced each other roughly five months ago in the African Nations Championship semi-finals, when Morocco won 2:1 after penalties in a pretty close game. Looking further back, over the past ten h2h games, Senegal have secured only two victories in regular time, while Morocco have secured six.
Regarding the number of goals, only three of the last ten ended with more than three goals, while both teams scored in the same number of games (three).
Senegal team overview
Senegal are among the top teams in Africa. That was particularly the case in recent years, given that they qualified for the past two World Cups (and the next one as well), won the 2021 AFCON, the African Nations Championship in 2022, and secured third place in 2024. So, pretty much constant deep runs in the continental competitions, and it is not a surprise they reached another final.
In this AFCON, the popular Lions of Teranga did well and deservedly reached the Finals. They won against Sudan, Mali, and Egypt in the previous rounds, while totally outplaying their opponents. Even though they are an underdog in the finals, we believe the only reason for it is the fact that they will face the host.
Unfortunately for Senegal, Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra are unavailable after picking up second yellow cards in the previous match against Egypt. However, Koulibaly suffered an injury during the last game and would most likely miss the final anyway.
Last matches of Senegal
-
Senegal
1 : 0
Egypt
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Mali
0 : 1
Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Senegal
3 : 1
Sudan
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Benin
0 : 3
Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Senegal
1 : 1
Congo DR
Africa Cup of Nations
Senegal lineup
Goalkeeper
-
16
Edouard Mendy
Defenders
-
15
Krépin Diatta
-
2
Mamadou Sarr
-
19
Moussa Niakhaté
-
25
El Hadji Malick Diouf
Midfielders
-
26
Pape Gueye
-
5
Idrissa Gueye
-
7
Lamine Camara
Forwards
-
13
Iliman Ndiaye
-
11
Nicolas Jackson
-
10
Sadio Mané
Morocco team overview
Morocco are on a magnificent streak. The Atlas Lions won the Africa Nations Championship 2024, easily secured a spot in the upcoming World Cup, and won the FIFA Arab Cup just before the AFCON. They are currently on an incredible 23-game unbeaten run, with a 78% win rate.
In the AFCON, Morocco had a pretty easy route until the quarter-final stage, when they faced Cameroon and Nigeria. However, we believe they offered their best game in the semi-finals, against the strongest opponent - Nigeria. Yes, they won the match after a penalty shootout, but were magnificent in regular time and deserved a win. That great display against such a strong opponent will undoubtedly give them a massive boost before the final.
Unlike Senegal, Morocco will have no suspended players, but Romain Saiss and Azzedine Ounahi will remain sidelined due to injuries.
Last matches of Morocco
-
Nigeria
2 : 4
Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Cameroon
0 : 2
Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Morocco
1 : 0
Tanzania
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Zambia
0 : 3
Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
-
Morocco
1 : 1
Mali
Africa Cup of Nations
Morocco lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Yassine Bounou
Defenders
-
2
Achraf Hakimi
-
25
Adam Masina
-
5
Nayef Aguerd
-
3
Noussair Mazraoui
Midfielders
-
24
Neil El Aynaoui
-
11
Ismael Saibari
-
23
Bilal El Khannouss
Forwards
-
10
Brahim Díaz
-
20
Ayoub El Kaabi
-
17
Abde Ezzalzouli
Prediction
In the knockout phase, Senegal went under 2.5 goals in two out of three games, while Morocco went under the mentioned line in all three knockout matches. Both teams have done a great job defensively throughout the competition. Combined, Senegal and Morocco had nine clean sheets in 75% of their games (9 out of 12).
Also, in the AFCON Finals, with the title on the line, we rarely see many goals. In the last ten finals, we saw fewer than three goals in eight of them - 80%.
Considering the constant low-scoring games by both teams in the knockout phase, their excellent defensive performances, and the importance of the match, we firmly believe that an under 2.5 goals bet is the safest option for the AFCON final.
4 Reasons why we should see fewer than three goals
- Senegal went under 2.5 goals in two out of three games in the knockout phase
- Senegal kept a clean sheet in the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals
- Morocco kept a clean sheet in all three games in the knockout phase
- Seven of the last nine h2h games ended with fewer than three goals
Main prediction Senegal - Morocco
Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
1xBet
1.47
