Nigeria’s legendary captain, Joseph Yobo, has expressed confidence in the Super Eagles’ chances of clinching a fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title at the 2025 tournament, following the official draw held on Monday in Rabat, Morocco.

The Super Eagles were drawn into Group C alongside 2004 champions Tunisia, East African duo Uganda and Tanzania—co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON. 

Reflecting on the group and Nigeria’s historical pedigree, Yobo, a key figure in Nigeria’s last AFCON triumph in 2013, was optimistic about the team’s prospects.

“We have a good young crop and a new generation of players that have been together for a long time, so I don’t think that understanding is a problem for them,” Yobo said.

“Looking at the group, it’s never going to be easy for us, but knowing the Super Eagles, coming out of the group is never a problem.”

Nigeria heads into the tournament with a storied AFCON history, boasting 16 medals from 20 appearances, including three titles (1980, 1994, and 2013), five runner-up finishes, and eight bronze medals.

The team narrowly missed adding a fourth star in 2023, falling 2-1 to Côte d’Ivoire in the final.

Yobo, who was also one of the assistants during Monday’s draw, emphasized that the team’s focus should not just be on progressing through the group stage but on securing the ultimate prize.

“I hope that we start very well and we can take that momentum to the final. We are building on our last performance at AFCON 2023, and it’s about time we get our hands on the trophy again. I think we have the players and a wonderful new coach to do that.”

Tunisia, the most decorated opponent in Group C after Nigeria, will pose a significant challenge.

The North Africans famously knocked out the Super Eagles in the 2021 Round of 16 and boast one AFCON title from their 21 appearances.

Uganda, making their eighth appearance, and Tanzania, featuring for only the fourth time, will aim to upset the odds.

Yobo, however, remained confident, highlighting Nigeria’s depth and the recent improvements under their new coach. “We do have a very good team, the players are improving. It’s all about carrying that energy from the group stages and keeping the momentum,” he noted.

AFCON 2025, scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, promises thrilling encounters with 24 nations vying for glory in Morocco.

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Morocco has selected nine stadiums in six cities for the Africa Cup of Nations finals starting in December, the country’s local organising committee said on Monday hours before the tournament draw was due to be held.

Four stadiums will be in the capital Rabat and officials said the final will be played at Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, which has a 69,500 capacity.

It will also host the opening match and a semi-final, along with the renovated stadium in Tangier.

Casablanca’s Mohammed V stadium was the venue for the final when Morocco last hosted the tournament in 1988 but it is earmarked for a quarter-final only this time round, along with Agadir, Fes and Marrakech.

The 24-team tournament is being held from Dec. 21-Jan. 18, 2026.

Morocco are World Cup co-hosts in 2030, along with Spain and Portugal, and plan to build a 115,000-seater stadium on the outskirts of Casablanca by 2027, which they hope could host the 2030 final.

The stadium, one of the largest in the world, will cost up to $500 million, the Moroccan government previously said.

Stadiums in Rabat and Tangier are being renovated ahead of the Cup of Nations and Morocco plans after the tournament to upgrade the stadiums in Agadir, Fes and Marrakech, which are candidates to be World Cup host cities.

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

As it was 45 years ago when Nigeria first won the Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles will again begin another title chase with an opening match with Tanzania. That is the sequel of the Morocco 2025 draw conducted Monday evening in Rabat.

Nigeria last played Tanzania in Uyo on September 3, 2016, in a dead-rubber game for the 2017 edition in which both teams were already eliminated. It was Gernot Rohr’s first match as Nigeria’s manager.

Nigeria Super Eagles are drawn in Group C along with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. By the competition’s pre-draw fixtures, teams drawn as group heads will play the fourth teams first while teams 2 and 3 will play the second matches of the group.

That way, Morocco, the hosts, will face Comoros in the opening match of the competition.

The complete Groups

GROUP A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros

GROUP B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe

GROUP C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania.

GROUP D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana

GROUP E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan.

GROUP F: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H