AFCON 2025: Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembélé to watch Morocco-Mali showdown in Rabat tonight

French duo of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have already arrived in Rabat for the blockbuster 2025 Africa Cup of Nations clash between Morocco and Mali on Friday night.

The match, scheduled to take place at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah promises to be a thrilling encounter with both teams seeking for maximum points.

Morocco begun the continental showpiece on a good note, inflicting a 2-0 victory over Comoros, whiles Mali settled for a 1-1 draw in their opening fixture last Sunday.

The Atlas Lions are aiming for a win to secure their spot at the knockout stage, while Mali hopes to upset Morocco to revive their campaign, having shared spoils in their opening fixture.

Mbappe and Dembele will be in attendance to support their longtime friend, Achraf Hakimi as Morocco takes on Mali in crucial fixture tonight.

Despite not being 100 percent fit, Morocco manager Walid Regragui opted to include him the squad for the continental showpiece.

Hakimi missed the Atlas Lions opening game against Comoros, where they managed a 2-0 victory over their opponent. Meanwhile, it is unknown whether the pacey full-back will play a part in their second group game.

Before moving to Real Madrid, Mbappe, Dembele and Hakimi has shared the dressing room at Paris Saint Germain. The presence of the French duo is expected to boost Hakimi and the Morocco national as they seek for a win against Mali.

While Mbappe has Cameroonian roots, Dembele, who recently won both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Men’s Best Player award can boast of Malian and Senegalese origins respectively.