Nigeria drawn in Pot 1 for AFCON 2025 draw

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured a spot in Pot 1 for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw.

The draw ceremony is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the 12 highest-ranked teams, based on the latest FIFA rankings as of June 20, 2024, will be placed in Pot 1.

This placement ensures that Nigeria will avoid facing other top-ranked teams in the initial stages of the tournament.

Joining Nigeria in Pot 1 are hosts Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The draw will divide the qualifiers into 12 groups (Groups A to L), each consisting of four teams.

The top two teams from each group, except for the group involving the host nation Morocco, will qualify for the tournament. The qualifiers are set to begin in September 2024.

Côte d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Faé and Moroccan legend Marouane Chamakh will assist in conducting the draw.

The AFCON 2025 finals are slated to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.