Excitement builds as the Super Eagles, finalists in the 2023 AFCON, prepare to discover their opponents for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the draw ceremony this evening in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Nigeria, currently ranked fifth in Africa, has been placed in Pot 1, ensuring they will avoid other top-tier teams in the group stage. Joining Nigeria in Pot 1 are hosts Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This strategic placement is based on the June FIFA Rankings and highlights Nigeria’s prominent position in African football.

The draw will see 48 teams divided into 12 groups (Groups A to L), with the top two teams from each group, except the group including hosts Morocco, qualifying for the AFCON 2025 finals. The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

This development comes at a crucial time for Nigerian football, given recent encounters with some of these top-tier nations. Notably, Ghana prevented Nigeria from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Côte d’Ivoire emerged victorious over Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON final, and South Africa remains a significant hurdle in Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Stay tuned for more updates as the Super Eagles’ journey to AFCON 2025 unfolds!