The Nigerian national football team has been placed in Group C following the draw ceremony held in Morocco on Monday. A key highlight of the group will be Nigeria’s face-off against Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles, a rivalry steeped in history.
Tunisia, champions on home soil in 2004, eliminated Nigeria in the semi-finals that year before defeating Morocco to lift the trophy. The Tunisians also knocked out Nigeria in the Round of 16 during the 2021 AFCON tournament in Cameroon. However, Nigeria triumphed 4-2 over Tunisia during their journey to the AFCON final against Cameroon in Lagos in 2000.
While Nigeria and Tunisia are the top teams in Group C, Tanzania and Uganda are expected to mount a serious challenge for the two automatic qualification spots.
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The draw also produced exciting matchups in other groups. Hosts Morocco lead Group A alongside Mali, Zambia, and Comoros. Group B features heavyweights like Egypt, South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, all vying for qualification.
In Group D, reigning 2021 champions Senegal will face DR Congo, Benin, and Botswana. Meanwhile, Group E has Algeria competing against Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan. Defending champions Ivory Coast are in Group F, where they will contend with Cameroon, Gabon, and Mozambique as they aim to defend the title won at home last year.
With the tournament scheduled for December in Morocco, Nigerian fans are hopeful the Super Eagles, who narrowly lost the last final to Ivory Coast, will clinch the title this time. Eric Chelle, Nigeria’s newly appointed head coach from Mali, attended the draw and will seek to join the ranks of Otto Gloria, Clemens Westerhof, and Stephen Keshi as AFCON-winning coaches for Nigeria.
CAF President Patrick Motsepe expressed optimism about the tournament, describing it as potentially the most successful AFCON yet. “Ivory Coast set a high standard last year, and now we must aim even higher. Africa is home to many exceptionally talented footballers, and they will all be in Morocco,” said Motsepe.
The tournament, originally scheduled for mid-2025, was rescheduled to avoid clashing with the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. However, CAF officials have assured fans that the new dates will not affect the event’s success.
