Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to face some formidable opponents in the group stage. The team has been seeded in Pot One, ensuring they will avoid other top footballing nations during the draw, which will take place at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Casablanca, Morocco, on Monday.
Being placed in Pot One means Nigeria is among the elite football nations of Africa, alongside Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Cote d’Ivoire. These teams are regarded as the continent’s football powerhouses, and Nigeria’s seeding reflects their strong performance in recent FIFA rankings, where they were listed as the fifth-best team in Africa as of December 2024.
Though they are guaranteed to avoid these top teams in the group stage, the Super Eagles could face tough opponents from the other pots, such as Mali, South Africa, and Cameroon, who are placed in Pot Two.
The draw will be attended by Nigeria’s head coach, Éric Chelle, alongside team administrator Dayo Enebi Achor and Sharif Inuwa, chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Technical and Development Committee.
AFCON 2025 will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. The Super Eagles will be aiming to improve on their runner-up finish in the previous edition, held in Cote d’Ivoire.
AFCON 2025 Group Stage Seeding:
- Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire
- Pot 2: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, Burkina Faso
- Pot 3: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Benin Republic
- Pot 4: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Botswana