- The draw will divide 48 countries into 12 groups of 4 teams, with top 2 qualifying directly
- The qualifying matches will be played during FIFA windows in September, October, and November 2024
Three-time winners and five-time runners-up. Nigeria’s opponents for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals qualification race will be revealed today when the draw occurs in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The draw ceremony, held inside the SuperSport studio in South Africa’s commercial and economic capital, will divide the 48 countries into 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two teams in eleven of the groups qualifying directly to the finals, which are already scheduled for December 21st, 2025 – January 18th, 2026, while Morocco will qualify (regardless of where they finish) alongside one other team in the 12th group.
The 48 qualified teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two automatically advancing to the tournament proper, which begins December 21, 2025.
The qualifying matches will occur during the FIFA windows of September, October, and November this year.
Today’s draw includes Nigeria’s opponents in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying race: Benin Republic, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
The AFCON 2025 finals will occur between December 21, 2025, and January 18, 2026.