The Super Eagles of Nigeria have found their competitors in the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers following a draw event held in South Africa on Thursday.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic, Rwanda, and Libya in what promises to be a challenging Group D.
The draw, which sets the stage for the road to Morocco in 2025, saw 48 countries divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
The top two teams from eleven of these groups will advance directly to the finals, slated to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. This structure aims to streamline the qualification process and enhance the competitive nature of the tournament.
In an interesting twist for Group B, host nation Morocco will automatically qualify for the finals, irrespective of their position at the end of the qualifiers.
This leaves the other teams in the group vying for just one available spot, adding an extra layer of intensity to the matches in that group.
The qualifying rounds for the tournament are scheduled to take place during the FIFA windows of September, October, and November this year.
Draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying competition, made in Johannesburg on Thursday:
Group A
Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia
Group B
Morocco (hosts), Gabon, Central African Republic, Lesotho
Group C
Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana
Group D
Nigeria, Benin, Libya, Rwanda
Group E
Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia
Group F
Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger
Group G
Ivory Coast (holders), Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad
Group H
Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Group I
Mali, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Eswatini
Group J
Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Group K
South Africa, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, South Sudan
Group L
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi
Dates
Sept 2-10: Matchdays 1, 2
Oct 7-15: Matchdays 3, 4
Nov 11-15: Matchdays 5, 6