Sports
Nigeria in Pot 1 as AFCON draw holds Monday

The draw ceremony for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held on Monday evening at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.
Nigeria, a three-time African champion, is placed in Pot 1 alongside other top teams such as Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, and reigning champions Cote d’Ivoire.
Representing Nigeria at the event will be Super Eagles’ Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle, Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor, and NFF Technical and Development Committee Chairman Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa.
The tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18, is unique for spanning two calendar years.
Morocco, hosting again after the 1988 edition, had initially been awarded the 2015 finals but withdrew due to health concerns related to the Ebola outbreak.
Since then, the country has hosted notable football events, including the 2018 African Nations Championship, the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.
Read Also: Super Eagles to discover 2025 AFCON group foes Jan 27
Morocco is also set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles boast an impressive record in the Africa Cup of Nations, with 16 medals from 20 appearances.
The team have won the tournament three times (1980, 1994, 2013), finished as runners-up five times, and secured bronze on eight occasions.
Nigeria have also played 104 matches in the competition, ranking fourth in overall participation behind Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana.
The tournament draw has divided the teams into four pots:
Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire
Pot 2: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, Burkina Faso
Pot 3: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Benin Republic
Pot 4: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Botswana
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