Nigeria will tackle two North African teams – Tunisia and Algeria – as well as Botswana, in Group B of the 13^th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Morocco next summer. 

The Falcons will surely relish another meeting with Algeria’s Green Ladies, whom they defeated 2-0 and 4-1 respectively in two friendly matches in Nigeria last month. 

Botswana eliminated Gabon in the qualifying series and Tunisia were the quarter-finalists at the last edition also hosted by Morocco. 

At the draw conducted on Friday evening at the Technical Centre of the Mohamed VI Football Complex in Sale, outside Rabat, host nation Morocco, earlier slotted into Group A, learnt they will have to cope with Zambia, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cup holders South Africa are in Group C and will square up to Ghana, Mali and Tanzania in the three-week, 12-nation final tournament taking place 5^th – 26^th July 2025. 

Hosts Morocco finished as runners-up in the last edition in July 2022, with Zambia taking the bronze after a 1-0 defeat of Nigeria in the third-place match.

GROUP A: Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo

GROUP B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana

GROUP C: South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania

The 12 teams featuring in the final draw for the 2024 Africa Women’s Nations Cup next year are already guaranteed financial rewards. Even the teams finishing bottom will go home with cash rewards.

Therefore, the teams are not just jostling for glory, prize money has also been raised.  

Like it is in the Women’s Champions League, the winning national team will earn $600,000 while the runners-up get $400,000.  The third-placed team will get $350,000

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will begin the chase for their 10th title in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as seeded team B1. The final draw of the competition will hold on Friday evening at the Technical Centre of Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Rabat Morocco.

It will start at 8 pm local time, the same as in Nigeria but at 19h00 GMT.  Nigeria along with hosts, Morocco and defending champions, South Africa are the top seeds. The trio will therefore not meet at the group stage.

Morocco will go in as Team A1 while defending champions South Africa will take position C1.

The remaining nine teams are seeded based on their FIFA ranking thus creating four levels that ensure a balanced initial distribution of teams for the tournament.

The distribution runs thus:

• Level 1: Morocco (host), Nigeria, South Africa
• Level 2: Zambia, Ghana, Tunisia
• Level 3: Mali, Senegal, Algeria
• Level 4: DR Congo, Tanzania, Botswana

The draw will follow a rigorous methodology to ensure balanced and fair groupings. Three separate pots will be used to allocate teams from Levels 2, 3, and 4 into Groups A, B, and C:

1. Pot C (Level 4):
   • The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A4.
   • The second ball will go to Group B, position B4.
   • The third ball will go to Group C, position C4.
2. Pot B (Level 3):

1. The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A3.
2. The second ball will go to Group B, position B3.
3. The third ball will go to Group C, position C3.
4. Pot A (Level 2):

1. The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A2.
2. The second ball will go to Group B, position B2.
3. The third ball will go to Group C, position C2.

Morocco 2024 is the 13th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and will run from July 5 to July 26, 2025. 

South Africa are the defending champions and they secured their first continental title in Morocco two years ago. Nigeria won nine of the previous 12 editions.