AFCON 2025: Super Eagles in top pot as CAF releases draw procedures

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria’s senior men’s national team will be in pot one for tonight’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw in Morocco.

The three-time African champions are in the same pot with host Morocco, holders Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.

The pot meant that the Super Eagles would not meet any team in pot one.

AFCON 2025 host, Morocco will be placed in position A1 in Group A.

Holders Cote d’Ivoire will head one of the other five pools as they sit in Pot 1.

The remainder of the qualified teams will be placed in Pots 1-4 based on their FIFA World Ranking as of 19 December 2024, and as follows:

Pot 1: Morocco (A1), Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire

Pot 2: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo and Burkina Faso

Pot 3: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea and Benin

Pot 4: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Botswana

The procedure of the draw will be:

The ball of Morocco will be drawn first from Pot 1, and it will go to position A1.

The balls from Pot 4 will be drawn sequentially to positions A4, B4, C4, D4, E4, and F4.

The balls from Pot 3 will be drawn sequentially to positions A3, B3, C3, D3, E3, and F3.

The balls from Pot 2 will be drawn sequentially to positions A2, B2, C2, D2, E2, and F2.

The remaining balls from Pot 1 (minus Morocco) will be drawn sequentially to positions B1, C1, D1, E1, F1.

The top two teams in each pool, as well as the four best third-placed teams,, will qualify for the round of 16 at AFCON 2025.