By Victor Kanayo
Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw ceremony slated for Mohamed V National Theatre in Rabat, Casablanca, on Monday, 27 January 2025, organisers have unveiled the various pots.
In it, 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.
For Pot 2, Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso are included.
While Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, and Benin Republic are in Pot 3, Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Botswana make up Pot 4.
Unique AFCON
The final tournament, which begins on 21 December 2025 and ends on 18 January 2026, is unique in some ways, including being the first ever to start in one year and run into the next.
Morocco will host Africa again after hosting the 1988 tournament, which was won by Cameroon.
The North African country was handed the hosting rights for the 2015 finals but withdrew at the eleventh hour amidst the Ebola scare across some nations on the continent.
Since then, the country has hosted a plethora of football championships, including the African Nations Championship in 2018 (which it won), the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 (in which it finished as runners-up), and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023. Morocco will also co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup finals alongside neighbours Spain and Portugal.
Super Eagles’ Medals Record
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 claimed 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’s group phase.
While Nigeria will be taking part in its 21st tournament (same as DR Congo and Algeria), Botswana and Comoros will be participating in only their second respective championships.
Egypt will be appearing in their 27th tournament, Cote d’Ivoire in their 26th, and Cameroon and Tunisia in their 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 has also played a total of 104 matches at the final tournament, ranking fourth overall behind Egypt (111), Cote d’Ivoire (106), and Ghana (105).
Individuals’ Footprints
Cameroonian Rigobert Song (who coached the Indomitable Lions at the last finals in Cote d’Ivoire), Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan, Ghanaian Andrew Ayew, and Tunisian Youssef Msakni have played in eight tournaments each. Ayew and Song have played the most matches – 36 each.
Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o (currently President of FECAFOOT) has scored the most goals in the final tournament – 18 in the 29 matches he played across eight tournaments.
Nigeria’s Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scored 13 goals across four final tournaments between 1988 and 1994.
