By Sola Ojewusi
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in Group D of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, alongside Benin Republic, Rwanda, and Libya. This follows a draw held in South Africa on Thursday, mapping out the road to Morocco in 2025.
The draw, conducted in Johannesburg, features 48 countries divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from eleven groups will qualify directly for the finals, scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Morocco, as the host nation, qualifies automatically.
The qualifying matches will be played over the FIFA windows of September, October, and November this year, with the following dates set for the matches: Matchdays 1 and 2 from September 2-10, Matchdays 3 and 4 from October 7-15, and Matchdays 5 and 6 from November 11-15.
Group D Breakdown:
– Nigeria
– Benin
– Libya
– Rwanda
Other Group Draws:
Group A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia
Group B: Morocco (hosts), Gabon, Central African Republic, Lesotho
Group C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana
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
Liberia, Eswatini, South Sudan, and Chad won preliminary ties, while the other 44 qualifiers received byes. Winners and runners-up from each group will qualify, except for the group containing Morocco, where only the best-placed of the other three teams will secure a place due to Morocco’s automatic qualification as hosts.
As Nigeria gears up for the qualifiers, the Super Eagles are expected to leverage their experience and talent to secure a spot in the prestigious tournament. The Nigerian team’s performance in these matches will be closely watched, as they aim to showcase their prowess and uphold their national pride on the continental stage.
