Julius OkorieThe AFCON 2025 Draw just completed in Johannesburg, South Africa, has pitched Nigeria against Benin Republic, Libya and Rwanda in Group D.
48 African countries will be aiming to qualify for the 35th edition of the biennial Africa showpiece in an attempt to dethrone coach Emerse Fae’s Cote d’Ivoire as continental kings.
Fae – one of the two draw assistants together with Morocco legend Marouane Chamakh, saw his side placed in a tricky group as they bid to defend their title.
Cote d’Ivoire are defending champions after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final of the continent’s flagship sports competition in Abidjan earlier this year.
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The Elephants were placed in Group G where they will play former champions Zambia, Sierra Leone and Chad.
Hosts Morocco were placed in Group B where they will tackle Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho.
Morocco will approach this qualifying campaign with less pressure since they are already assured of participating in the competition on home ground.
The qualifiers will start in September 2024 and end in November 2024.
The first and runners-up in the eleven (11) groups that do not involve tournament hosts Morocco, will gain qualification to the competition.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations is the biggest sporting event in Africa and the next championship will be held from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
Here Is The Full Groups As Dished Out By CAF Today:
Group A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia
Group B: Morocco, Gabon,Central Africa Republic, Lesotho
Group C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana
Group D: Nigeria, Benin Libya, Rwanda
Group E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia
Group F: Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger
Group G: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad
Group H: DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Group I: Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Eswatini
Group J: Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Group K: South Africa, Uganda, Congo, South Sudan
Group L: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
