By Nurudeen Obalola
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in the same group as North African powerhouses Tunisia for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with holders Cote d’Ivoire to face five-time winners Cameroon.
The draw was held in Rabat, Morocco on Monday night, with the tournament scheduled for the North African country in December 2025 and January 2026.
The 24 teams that qualified for the tournament were drawn into six groups of four each during the ceremony, which had Hollywood star Djimon Hounsou as one of the hosts and former Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo one of the draw assistants.
The Super Eagles are in Group C, where they will also be up against 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) co-hosts Tanzania and Uganda.
Tunisia will be the major concern for the three-time African champions though, having lost to the Carthage Eagles in the 2004 AFCON semi-finals and the round of 16 of the 2021 edition.
Nigeria are the top team in their group according to the latest FIFA ranking.
The Super Eagles are ranked 44th in the world and fifth in Africa, while 2004 AFCON champions Tunisia are 52nd (ninth), Uganda 88th (19th) and Tanzania 106th (24th).
In Group A, hosts Morocco, the top ranked team in Africa and 14th in the world, will face Mali, Zambia and Comoros.
Defending champions Cote d’Ivoire will vie with Cameroon for the leadership of Group F, along with Gabon and Mozambique.
The top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the round of 16, with the four best third-placed sides.
2025 AFCON GROUPINGS
A
Morocco
Mali
Zambia
Comoros
B
Egypt
South Africa
Angola
Zimbabwe
C
Nigeria
Tunisia
Uganda
Tanzania
D
Senegal
DR Congo
Benin
Botswana
E
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Equatorial Guinea
Sudan
F
Cote d’Ivoire
Cameroon
Gabon
Mozambique
