Nigeria has a score to settle with The Squirrels of Benin after Confederation of African Football (CAF) pitched the Super Eagles in Group D alongside its neighbour in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
The draws which was conducted in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon will also see Nigeria square up against Rwanda and Libya respectively.
Placed in Pot 1 alongside some of the best-ranked teams in Africa, Nigeria was able to avoid other 11 football heavyweights like Ghana, host Morocco and Ghana.
The draw of the qualifiers is made up of 12 Groups of 4 teams (Group A to L), where the first and runners-up in the eleven (11) groups that do not involve tournament hosts Morocco, will qualify for the competition.
Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros and The Gambia will lock horns in group A while host Morocco, Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho battle for supremacy in group B.
Group C have seven-time winners Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania while Botswana will be aiming to stage a comeback to AFCON since their last participation in 2012.
Algeria, Togo, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia make up the number in Group E while four-time winner Ghana go for broke against Angola, Sudan, and Niger Republic in Group F. Battle for AFCON 2025 ticket is expected to be between defending Champions Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia while Sierra Leone and Chad will be hoping to punch above their weights in Group G.
DR Congo is in Group H alongside Guinea, Tanzania and Ethiopia, while Mali, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Eswatini battle for glory in Group 1.
Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will face Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe in Group J. Bronze winners South Africa will be up against Uganda, Congo and South Sudan in Group K while two times winners Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Burundi complete the lists in Group L.
The matches, which are expected to begin during FIFA’s friendly window in November 2024 will be played on home and away basis.
