Eagles to avoid Ivory Coast, Senegal in AFCON draw

The three-time African champions Nigeria will avoid hosts Morocco, defending champions Senegal, seven-time winners Egypt, Algeria and Ivory Coast in Monday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations draw in Rabat, after being placed in Pot 1.

The draw ceremony for the 35th AFCON finals will take place at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Casablanca, with Super Eagles head coach Eric Sékou Chelle, team administrator Dayo Enebi Achor and NFF Technical Committee chairman Sharif Rabiu Inuwa expected to attend.

The tournament, scheduled for December 21 to January 18, will be historic as the first AFCON to begin in one year and end in another, while marking Morocco’s return as hosts since the 1988 edition won by Cameroon.

The North African country, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, has recently staged several major tournaments including the 2018 African Nations Championship, 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.

Nigeria head into the draw as record medal holders in the competition’s 68-year history with 16 medals in 20 appearances, including three titles (1980, 1994, 2013), five runner-up finishes (1984, 1988, 1990, 2000 and 2023) and eight bronze medals.

The Eagles, making their 21st appearance alongside DR Congo and Algeria, could face tough opposition from Pot 2, which includes Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo and Burkina Faso.

Pot 3 contains Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea and Benin Republic, while Pot 4 features Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe and tournament debutants Botswana.

The Super Eagles have played 104 matches in AFCON finals history, the fourth-highest behind Egypt (111), Ivory Coast (106) and Ghana (105), with late striker Rashidi Yekini scoring 13 goals across four tournaments between 1988 and 1994.