BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The path which three-time champions, five-time runners up and record seven-time bronze medallists, the Super Eagles will have to navigate to the title match for Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be charted this Monday evening.

Super Eagles in Pot 1 are already assured of pre-tournament headship of a group. More than often, the Super Eagles have had podium finishes in most of their 19 previous appearances.

They were on the podium 15 times except in the editions of 1963, 1982, 2008 and 2021. In Morocco 2025, will it be a bumpy or smooth ride to the podium?

For sure, at the group stage, they will have some knotty problems to solve as they will certainly get tough opposition from Pot 2 comprising Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo and Burkina Faso.

With Cameroon, the rivalry has been longstanding and intense. The same with Tunisia and South Africa.

Mali, DR Congo and Burkina Faso will be ‘soft’ options. Mali will however throw up controversy as a Malian is in charge of the Nigerian team.

The Pot 3 also contains familiar foes for the Super Eagles who faced Angola and Equatorial Guinea in the last edition and have in recent fixtures crossed paths with the Benin Republic.  

Uganda has always been a hard nut to crack for succeeding Nigerian national teams. In eight head-to-head encounters since 1978, Nigeria lost four times to Uganda won two, and drew two others.

Two of the famous losses to Uganda included the elimination of the then star-studded Green Eagles at the semi-finals at 1978 AFCON in Ghana and the 1-0 defeat of Super Eagles in Uyo in a commemorative match to mark the 100th cap of Vincent Enyeama. Odion Ighalo made his debut for Nigeria at the match.

Uganda, therefore, will not be an easy pick for Nigeria.

Pot 4 comprising Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Botswana presents a tricky choice.

If it is Zimbabwe, the Super Eagles are already in the same World Cup qualifying group. The Nigerian side laboured to salvage a point when they met last year in Rwanda.

The Super Eagles will host Zimbabwe later this year on the road to the 2026 World Cup.

A comfortable draw for Nigeria could be Nigeria – DR Congo – Gabon – Comoros.

A tough group could be Nigeria – Cameroon/Tunisia/South Africa – Uganda- Sudan.

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Star players are used to symbolise each of the 24 teams featuring at Monday’s draw for the final competition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ademola Lookman, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, has his picture on the poster of the draw, representing Nigeria as the current most high-profile player.

Similarly, Mohamed Sallah represents Egypt, one of the six teams, Morocco, and Nigeria in Pot 1 of the draw. Achraf Hakimi is the poster boy for hosts, Morocco.

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Morocco’s national football team, Atlas Lions will not be lacking in motivation in the days leading to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as music producer, RedOne will unveil an anthem dedicated to the team.

Titled ‘Maghribi Maghribi,’ the song is speculated to be released as RedOne takes the stage during a potentially colourful draw ceremony this Monday at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat.

In a press release, RedOne, born Nadir Khayat, revealed that the track will be the official anthem for Morocco at AFCON 2025, saying: “It’s to encourage and support them in every competition they take part in.”

The president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Faouzi Lekjaa, backs this project. 

This is the first time Morocco has had a song like this. “It’s an unprecedented achievement,” RedOne said. “This project is special for me, bringing sports and culture together for my homeland.”

“Maghribi Maghribi” is part of a larger musical project, which features only Moroccan songs. “This album is more than music, “ he explained. “It’s a statement of national pride and unity – a tribute to the strength of our Moroccan people.” 

The lyrics and instruments used in the album will celebrate the diversity and richness of Moroccan culture and aim to inspire love for the national team. 

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