Morocco carry the weight of a nation into the 2025 AFCON final as the hosts look to end a 50-year wait against Senegal.

After winning Group D by going undefeated during the group stage, Senegal had the joint best defensive record, allowing only one goal in group stage play. Pushing to the knockout stage, they were able to fend off Sudan before Mali's red card made advancing past the quarterfinals a breeze.

RABAT, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Tensions mounted on the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations final as Senegal's coach Pape Bouna Thiaw criticised a lack of security for his players when they arrived in Rabat ahead of Sunday’s decider and were mobbed at the city’s train station.

Senegal's coach hopes the AFCON final against Morocco is not Sadio Mane's last, urging the star player not to consider walking away from the team.

Sadio Mane’s late strike took Senegal into the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the expense of Egypt, eliminating his former Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah in the process.

The game in Rabat (19:00 GMT) pits the continent's top two teams against one another, with the North Africans ranked 11th in the world and the Teranga Lions eight places below them.