The dust has finally settled on the 36 matches of the AFCON 2025 group stage. From the vibrant coast of Tangier to the historic heart of Casablanca, the back of the net has been kept busy. But beyond the celebrations and the heartbreak, what do the numbers actually tell us about the state of African football?
As we prepare for the "Win or Go Home" phase, we’ve crunched the numbers to bring you the definitive statistical autopsy of the tournament so far.
I. The Big Picture: A Tournament of Intent
Morocco 2025 has officially become one of the most prolific group stages in AFCON history.
Total Goals Scored: 94 goals across 36 matches.
Goals Per Game: An impressive 2.61, significantly higher than the 2.15 average we saw in the early stages of the 2023 edition.
The "Morocco Factor": Analysts attribute this scoring surge to the world-class hybrid pitches and the crisp winter climate, which has prevented the "energy sapping" fatigue often seen in tropical editions. The ball is moving faster, and so are the players.
II. The Anatomy of a Goal: How Were They Scored?
How a goal is scored tells you everything about a team's tactical identity.
Open Play Dominance: 68% of goals came from open play, a sign that African teams are moving away from "parking the bus" and toward more fluid, attacking systems.
The Aerial Threat: 22 goals were scored via headers. Nigeria and Mali led this category, utilizing their physical height advantage in the box.
Long-Range Screamers: We witnessed 11 goals scored from outside the 18-yard box. The contender for goal of the tournament remains Lamine Camara’s (Senegal) 30-yard thunderbolt that clocked in at 104 km/h.
Set-Piece Efficiency: Morocco proved to be the kings of the dead ball, with 4 of their 9 group-stage goals originating from corners or indirect free-kicks.
III. The Penalty Report: Drama from 12 Yards
The penalty spot has been a place of immense psychological warfare in this tournament.
Total Penalties Awarded: 14 (A slight increase, largely due to tighter VAR monitoring of shirt-pulling in the box).
Conversion Rate: 78%. While most stars kept their cool, we saw 3 high-profile misses that altered group standings.
VAR Influence: 6 of the 14 penalties were awarded only after a pitch-side monitor review.
The Specialists: Egypt and Algeria were the only teams to be awarded multiple penalties in the group stage, converting all of them.
IV. Temporal Analysis: When Does the Net Bulge?
Timing is everything in tournament football.
The "Early Birds" (0-15 min): Only 9% of goals were scored in the opening quarter-hour, suggesting teams are still entering games with a "safety first" mindset.
Late Drama (80th Min+): A staggering 18 goals were scored in the final ten minutes plus stoppage time. This "Late Surge" highlights a widening fitness gap; as domestic-based defenders tire, European-based attackers are finding more space to exploit.
The "Second Half Surge": 58% of all goals in this tournament have been scored after the 60th minute.
V. The "Gaffe" Section: Blunders and Clean Sheets
Football is a game of errors, and the group stage had its fair share of "look away" moments.
Own Goals: 3 (An unfortunate low for defenders from Guinea-Bissau, Libya, and Tanzania).
Defensive Errors: 12 goals were directly attributed to "Errors Leading to Goal" (individual blunders like misplaced back-passes or goalkeeper spills).
The Defensive Wall: At the other end of the spectrum, Morocco and Senegal are the "Clean Sheet Kings," each conceding only once during their entire three-game campaign.
VI. Team-by-Team Efficiency
Most Prolific Attack: Morocco (9 goals).
The "Underperformers": South Africa recorded the highest xG (Expected Goals) relative to their actual score, missing 5 "Big Chances" across their three matches.
Diversity of Scorers: Senegal is the most unpredictable team in the bracket, with 7 different players finding the scoresheet. You can't just mark one man when playing the Lions of Teranga.
Conclusion: What Have We Learned?
The data suggests that the AFCON 2025 knockout stage will be fast and high-scoring. Teams are no longer afraid to commit bodies forward, and the late-game statistics prove that "game management" will be the deciding factor in the Round of 16.