Nations Cup Draw: Super Eagles in Pot A, To Avoid Morocco, Senegal, Egypt

The Draw Ceremony for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals will take place at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Rabat, Casablanca on Monday evening.

Three-time African champions Nigeria have been placed in Pot 1, alongside seven-time winners Egypt, three-time champions and Cup holders Cote d’Ivoire, two-time winners Algeria, hosts, and 1976 champions Morocco and 2021 winners Senegal.

As a result of being in the same pot with the African heavyweight teams, Nigeria will avoid playing against any of them in the group stage.

Super Eagles Coach Éric Sékou Chelle and Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, alongside the Chairman of NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa will attend the colourful ceremony in Morocco.

The final tournament that begins on 21st December, and ends on 18th January is the first ever to start in a particular year and run into another year.

Morocco will play host to Africa again since hosting the 1988 tournament that was won by Cameroon.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles hold the record for the most medals from the 68-year-old championship: 16 in 20 previous participations.

They are three-time winners (1980, 1994, 2013), finished as runners-up on five occasions (1984, 1988, 1990, 2000 and 2023), and took the bronze eight times (1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019).

The Eagles lost out in the quarter-finals in 2008 and were eliminated in the second round in 2021. Only in their debut in 1963, and as Cup holders in 1982, have the Eagles failed to proceed beyond the tournament group phase.

Egypt will be appearing in their 27th tournament; Côte d’Ivoire 26th and; Cameroon and Tunisia 22nd. Hosts Morocco are appearing in their 20th finals and 2012 champions Zambia in their 19th. 2021 winners Senegal are appearing in their 18th final tournament.

Nigeria have also played a total of 104 matches at the final tournament, 4th overall behind Egypt (111), Côte d’Ivoire (106) and Ghana (105).

Nigeria’s Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scored 13 goals across four final tournaments between 1988 and 1994.

Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Côte 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

Nations Cup Draw: Super Eagles in Pot A, To Avoid Morocco, Senegal, Egypt is first published on The Whistler Newspaper