Nigeria face familiar foes in Benin, Rwanda as Super Eagles are drawn in Group D of 2025 AFCON qualifiers

Nigeria have been drawn in Group D for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, which will take place in Morocco next year, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Confederation of African Football conducted the draw ceremony on Thursday, placing the Super Eagles in Pot 1 ahead of the main draws. 

In Group D, Nigeria will face Benin, Libya, and Rwanda. The top two teams from each group will advance to the AFCON finals, scheduled for December 2025.

This group presents a familiar challenge, as Nigeria will also face Benin and Rwanda in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Benin and Rwanda currently lead the World Cup qualifying group with seven points each, having won two and drawn one of their first four matches.

Nigeria, meanwhile, have had a slower start, with three draws and one loss, leaving them four points behind the leaders.

The Super Eagles’ only defeat in the campaign came from a 2-1 comeback by Benin in Abidjan last month, marking Benin’s first-ever senior win over Nigeria.

Despite the slow start in the World Cup qualifiers, Nigeria have a strong record in AFCON. The Super Eagles have qualified for every tournament since missing out in 2015 and 2017.

They won the 2013 edition in South Africa and reached the final in the last AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, where they were defeated 2-1 by the hosts.

The 2025 AFCON qualifiers will be a test for Nigeria as they seek to continue their strong tradition in the tournament and make up for their recent World Cup qualifying struggles.