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Three-time champions and five-time runners-up Nigeria are expected to learn their rivals on Thursday for the qualifying race for the finals of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
The draw will take place inside the SuperSport studio in South Africa’s commercial and economic capital.
The 48 countries will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each; the top two teams from eleven in the groups will qualify directly for the final, scheduled from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
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While Group 12 (hosted by Morocco) will see Morocco qualify (regardless of the position they finish in) alongside one other team.
Qualifying matches will be played during the September, October and November FIFA windows this year.
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All of Nigeria’s rivals in the current 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying race – Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe – are in the draw on Thursday.
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ALL 48 TEAMS IN THE DRAW:
POT 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, Mali, South Africa, DR Congo, Ghana
POT 2: Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Zambia, Republic of Benin, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Mozambique, Madagascar
POT 3: Kenya, Mauritania, Congo, Tanzania, Guinea Bissau, Libya, Comoros, Togo, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Central African Republic
POT 4: Republic of Niger, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Gambia, Burundi, Liberia, Ethiopia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, South Sudan, Chad.
(YAYA)
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