By Milcah Tanimu
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have secured a spot in Pot 1 for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw, as reported by Soccernet.ng.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the draw procedure on Wednesday, confirming that 48 teams will participate in the official draw. The top 12 teams, based on the latest FIFA Rankings from June 20, 2024, will be placed in Pot 1.
Nigeria, currently ranked fifth in Africa, will join hosts Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Pot 1. This placement ensures that Nigeria will avoid these top teams in the group stage.
This development is significant given Nigeria’s recent encounters with some of these nations. Ghana blocked Nigeria from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Côte d’Ivoire defeated Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON final, and South Africa is currently a key rival in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
The AFCON 2025 draw will form 12 groups of four teams each (Groups A to L). The top two teams from each group, except for the group including hosts Morocco, will qualify for the tournament. The draw ceremony is set to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday.
The AFCON 2025 finals are scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.