
At the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, which will be held in Morocco this year, Nigeria has been drawn into Group C against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, the Cranes of Uganda, and the Taifa Stars of Tanzania.
The Eagles will begin their campaign against the Tanzanian Taifa Stars in the tournament, which starts in December of this year.
“Nigeria has a good crop of players globally and we believe we are up to the task,” said Éric Sékou, head coach of the Super Eagles.
In 1980, when the Eagles hosted the AFCON for the first time, they faced Tanzania in the first game of the competition. Nigeria won their first continental championship after winning 3-1.
Twenty years later, Nigeria defeated the Carthage Eagles 4-2 in Lagos in their opening tournament match against Tunisia as co-hosts (along with Ghana). The Eagles advanced to the Final and only lost to Cameroon via a penalty shootout.
The three-time champions’ glorious run came to an end three years ago when the Carthage Eagles defeated the Super Eagles by a single goal in the Round of 16 at the Cameroon finals.
Nigeria has always found Uganda difficult to defeat, as evidenced by their 2-1 victory over the Eagles in the 1978 finals in Ghana, which advanced Nigeria to the third-place game. After Tunisia pulled out of the match in the 42nd minute, Nigeria emerged victorious in that match for third place.
Nigerian legend Mutiu Adepoju, who led his country to three FIFA World Cup finals and won the AFCON trophy in 1994, seems to have a great deal of confidence th in the Nigerian squad. In a recent interview, he stated:
“Given the level of our players, their outing at the last AFCON where they came close to winning the trophy, and the good and great things they’re doing with their various clubs in Europe presently, I am confident that we have a team that can compete favourably and perhaps win the trophy for the fourth time in Morocco.”
With 2012 champions Zambia, Mali, and Comoros, with the latter competing in just their second championship, hosts Morocco leads group A.
Match Schedule For The Big AFCON Tournament In Morocco
Seven-time champion Egypt is at war with 1996 hosts and champions South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe in group B, while cup winners Cote d’Ivoire is in group F with Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique.
2021 winners Group D will pit Senegal against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin Republic, and Botswana, while Group E will pit Algeria, the 1990 and 2019 winners, against Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan.
The full groups for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco are listed below:
GROUP A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
GROUP B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
GROUP C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
GROUP D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin Republic, Botswana
GROUP E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
GROUP F: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique