AFCON
EVALUATING SUPER EAGLES’ POTENTIAL OPPONENTS AHEAD OF AFCON DRAW
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Except the Super Eagles are pitched against Senegal or Tunisia in the Pot 1 of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations draw ceremony holding on Friday, the team will certainly face a former champion of the competition.
The seeds for the draw were released at the weekend and Nigeria is on the second tier of the seeding.
The seedings were based on performances of qualified teams at the 2013, 2015 and 2017 finals as well as the in the qualifying tournaments for 2015, 2017 and 2019 and the March 2019 FIFA rankings.
There are six teams in each pot. Nigeria along with Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea belongs to the second pot. It means that these teams will not be in the same group for the final competition.
Nigeria, like the other teams, will draw one opponent from each of the remaining three pots. In Pot 1 are Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal.
The Super Eagles will certainly face one of those six teams. Only Tunisia is strange to the Super Eagles in previous groupings of the competition. Both Nigeria and Egypt were in the same groups in 1963, 1980, 1988, 1990, 1994 and 2010.
Sports Village Square recalls that in most cases that Nigeria fall into the same group with Egypt, the Nigeria side got to the semi-final or even won the trophy as it happened in 1980 and 1994.
It was only in 1963, the ancient past of the tournament that Nigeria failed to get beyond the group stage after drawing Egypt.
The www.sportsvillagesquare.com recalls that in all other instances, Nigeria got within the medal zone as it happened in 1988 and 1990 – runners-up positions and 2010 – second runners up.
In fact, when Egypt beat Nigeria 3-1 in Benguela at the
opening match of Group C of Angola 2010, it was the first time 48 years that
the Pharaohs had beaten Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Another possible opponent of Nigeria in Pot 1 is Ghana. Both are traditional rivals and had fallen in the same groups in 1978, 1984 and 2006. Sports Village Square recalls that Ghana has never beaten Nigeria in any group stage of the competition, even the one hosted by Ghana in 1978.
Tunisia is the only team in Pot 1 that Nigeria has never faced in an Africa Cup of Nations’ group stage. The three duels of both teams in the Africa Cup of Nations’ history were at the knockout stages.
Sports Village Square recalls that both met in the classification match of Ghana 1978. Tunisia walked out of the encounter after a goal by Baba Otu Mohammed, which put score lines at 1-1. The match was eventually awarded to Nigeria by a 2-0 score line.
They met again in the semi finals of Tunisia 2004 and quarter-finals of 2006. Both encounters were drawn. Tunisia excelled in the ensuing penalty shoot-out in 2004 while Nigeria came from two-penalty missed to win 6-5 at Egypt 2006.
Cote d’Ivoire was in the same group with Nigeria in 1980 and 2008 in Ghana. The 1980 encounter ended 0-0 while Cote d’Ivoire won 1-0 the encounter at Ghana 2008.
Cameroon fell in the same Group B with Nigeria at Maroc ’88. The game in which Nigeria scored their fastest goal at the Africa Cup of Nations ended 1-1. Both met again in the final match.
Senegal hosted the 1982 edition in which the Teranga Lions fell 1-2 to Nigeria in the opening match of Group A.
The Super Eagles will not draw any opposition from Pot 2 which also have Morocco, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea.
Pot 3 has Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola and Burundi. The Super Eagles may be separated from South Africa as both emerged from the same qualifying group. The hard-playing Uganda may be a hard nut to crack. The only Africa Cup of Nations’ clash of both was in 1978 when a Philip Omondi-inspired Cranes of Uganda shocked Nigeria with a 2-1 defeat in the semi-finals.
Even then, encounters with Uganda have always been tough. The Cranes beat Nigeria 1-0 in a friendly match in 1981 and inflicted another 2-1 defeat in a 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter in 2007.
Even though Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, qualification was almost aborted for Nigeria as Uganda put up tough resistance in a return encounter played in Kampala on July 17, 1993.
Nigeria conceded a last minute penalty kick, which the Ugandans lost. Had that penalty been converted, the Super Eagles would not have qualified for the 1994 finals let alone winning the tournament.
In 2015, the Uganda spoiled the celebration for Vincent Enyeama, beating Nigeria 1-0 in a match that marked the 100th cap of the Nigerian goalkeeper. Last year, the Ugandans forced Nigeria to a goalless draw in Asaba.
Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Burundi in Pot 3 have never faced Nigeria in any group encounter of the Africa Cup of Nations. Burundi however in Abeokuta, lost 0-2 to the Super Eagles in the qualifying encounter for Afcon 2000, originally to hold in Zimbabwe. That was before Nigeria and Ghana were redesignated as joint hosts.
Angola was in the same qualifying groups with Nigeria in the qualification for 2004 and 2006. Nigeria’s only encounter with Guinea-Bissau was on October 2, 1960 in the Kwame Nkrumah Cup tournament. Guinea-Bissau at the time was called Portuguese Guinea. Nigeria won 4-1.
Zimbabwe, the other team in Pot 3, was in the same group with Nigeria in 2006. Nigeria won the match 2-0.
Pot 4 has Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Two teams in the Pot are debutants and had therefore never been drawn in the same group with Nigeria.
These are Mauritania and Madagascar. Tanzania, Kenya and Benin had been in Nigeria’s group before. Kenya shared the same group with Nigeria in 1988 and 1992.
Tanzania opened their Group A account with Nigeria in 1980. Should Nigeria draw the same group with Tanzania, it will be the first time a Nigerian coach will have his team pitched against Nigeria in the 62-year history of the tournament.
Benin Republic was in the same groups with Nigeria in 2008 and 2010.
THE AFCON TEAMS’ SEEDING:
POT 1: Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal
POT 2: Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea
POT 3: Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola and Burundi
POT 4: Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) has kicked off a European promotional tour themed “Morocco, Land of Football” to boost the country’s visibility ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The roadshow, which began on June 16 and runs through June 23, is making stops in five key European cities: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.
According to a press release, the initiative is designed to enhance Morocco’s international profile through a blend of sports and cultural promotion, as the kingdom prepares to host the continent’s premier football tournament.
“Morocco is preparing to welcome Africa. Through this roadshow, we aim to tell a collective story of a country oriented towards the future, proud of its roots, and passionate about football,” said Achraf Fayda, Director General of ONMT.
The roadshow stems from a strategic partnership signed in April between the ONMT and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), with the shared goal of positioning Morocco as a leading global destination for both football and tourism by 2030.
At each stop, the tour is expected to engage over 100 travel agents, tour operators, media professionals, and African tourism experts. Participants are treated to immersive, multisensory experiences that highlight Morocco’s tourism offerings, while also facilitating networking with sports personalities.
The campaign targets travel professionals, sports industry stakeholders, and digital content creators as part of ONMT’s broader strategy to leverage AFCON 2025 for tourism development and international branding.
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The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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