AFCON 2025: Super Eagles in Pot A as Nigeria targets fourth continental title

By Olaolu Joseph

The Draw Ceremony for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals will take place at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco, on Monday evening.

Three-time African champions Nigeria have been placed in Pot 1 alongside seven-time winners Egypt, three-time champions and current Cup holders Côte d’Ivoire, two-time winners Algeria, hosts and 1976 champions Morocco, and 2021 winners Senegal.

Super Eagles’ Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle, Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor, and the Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, will attend the ceremony in Morocco’s administrative capital.

The final tournament, set to begin on December 21 and end on January 18, is unique for being the first-ever AFCON to start in one year and conclude in another. Morocco is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1988, when Cameroon emerged as champions.

The North African country was awarded hosting rights for the 2015 edition but withdrew at the last moment due to concerns over the Ebola outbreak in parts of the continent.

Since then, Morocco has successfully hosted numerous football tournaments, including the 2018 African Nations Championship (which they won), the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (where they finished as runners-up), and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup. The country will also co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles hold the record for the most medals in the 68-year history of the AFCON, with 16 in 20 previous appearances.

Champions: 1980, 1994, 2013

Runners-up: 1984, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2023

Third place: 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2019

They reached the quarter-finals in 2008 and were eliminated in the second round in 2021. The Super Eagles failed to progress beyond the group stage only twice—in their debut in 1963 and as defending champions in 1982.

Nigeria will make its 21st AFCON appearance, matching the record of DR Congo and Algeria. Meanwhile, Botswana and Comoros will participate in only their second AFCON tournaments.

Egypt leads with 27 appearances, followed by Côte d’Ivoire (26), Cameroon and Tunisia (22), Morocco (20), and Senegal (18).

Nigeria has played a total of 104 AFCON matches, ranking fourth overall behind Egypt (111), Côte d’Ivoire (106), and Ghana (105).

Cameroon’s Rigobert Song, Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan, Ghana’s Andre Ayew, and Tunisia’s Youssef Msakni have each participated in eight AFCON tournaments, with Ayew and Song playing the most matches (36).

Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, now President of FECAFOOT, holds the record for most goals in AFCON history with 18 goals in 29 matches across eight tournaments. Nigeria’s Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scored 13 goals in four tournaments between 1988 and 1994.

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