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AFCON 2025: By CAF’s reckoning, Super Eagles are not AFCON 2025 favourites

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BREAKING! Osimhen Left Behind As Super Eagles Depart For Bouake -

Perhaps owing to their epileptic form, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are not rated by CAF among the five teams to watch at the Africa Cup of Nations holding in December and spreading to January 2026.

The Final Draw of the 35th edition of the premier African football competition will be held in Rabat on Monday, 27 January.

As part of the countdown, CAF has named five teams to watch out for.

While three-time champions and runners-up at the last edition, Nigeria are not mentioned, their under-achieving western neighbours, Benin are among the five teams to watch out for as the tournament, returns to Moroccan soil 37 years after the 1988 edition won by Cameroon. Here are the five teams that CAF listed:


Côte d’Ivoire: The Reigning Champions Aim to Prove Their Worth

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Fresh from their dramatic victory on home soil earlier this year, the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire have everything to prove in Morocco.

Under the innovative leadership of Emerse Faé, recently crowned CAF Coach of the Year, the team faces the challenge of demonstrating that their triumph was no fluke.

While their AFCON 2025 qualification campaign was far from stellar—finishing second in Group G behind Zambia—the team’s ambition remains undeterred.

Côte d’Ivoire will rely on their young, talented squad and Faé’s strategic brilliance to cement their status as African football heavyweights, despite droppingto 46th in the latest FIFA rankings (sixth in Africa).

Benin: The Cheetahs’ Long-Awaited Return

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Benin returns to the AFCON after missing the last two editions, securing qualification by the narrowest of margins.

The Cheetahs finished second in Group D, edging Rwanda on goal difference, and will look to build on their impressive 2019 quarter-final run, which included a stunning elimination of Morocco.

With experienced coach Gernot Rohr at the helm, Benin is poised to reignite its AFCON journey.

Rohr’s tactical expertise and proven leadership bring renewed hope to a team eager to make a lasting impact.

Angola: Breaking New Ground

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Angola enters AFCON 2025 with momentum after a stellar qualifying campaign that saw them top Group F, remaining unbeaten against Sudan, Niger, and Ghana.

This performance, coupled with their strong showing at the previous tournament, where they reached the quarter-finals, highlights their growing strength.

Coach Pedro Gonçalves has crafted a resilient team capable of challenging the continent’s best.

Angola, participating in their 10th AFCON, will aim to surpass their historical best of reaching the quarter-finals (2008, 2010, and 2023) and finally break through to the semi-finals.

Morocco: Redemption on Home Soil

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Despite reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco fell short at the last AFCON, suffering a surprising Round of 16 exit to South Africa.

However, the Atlas Lions rebounded with a flawless qualification campaign, winning all six of their matches in Group B.

Under coach Walid Regragui, Morocco boasts a squad brimming with talent and experience.

Hosting the tournament offers an additional advantage, as the team seeks to secure their second AFCON title—50 years after their first triumph in 1976.

Tanzania: The Taifa Stars’ Big Opportunity

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Tanzania stunned many by outperforming Guinea in Group H to secure their spot at AFCON 2025. 

Finishing second behind the DR Congo, the Taifa Stars delivered a standout performance, defeating Guinea home and away in the qualifiers.

With their fourth AFCON appearance on the horizon, coach Hemed ‘Morocco’ Suleiman and his team aim to make history by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time.

Their qualification journey hints at a team capable of delivering more surprises on the grand stage.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CAF’s analysis of AFCON 2025: Nigeria and Tunisia face tricky Group C challenge

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Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, is set to witness a thrilling contest in Group C, where Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania will battle for a place in the knockout rounds.

With two former AFCON champions and two East African teams eager to make their mark, this group promises to be one of the most competitive in the tournament.

Nigeria Begins Campaign Against Tanzania, Tunisia Faces Uganda

Group C action kicks off on December 23, 2025, with Nigeria taking on Tanzania at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.

The Super Eagles, three-time AFCON winners, will aim to start strong against Tanzania, who are still seeking their first-ever knockout stage qualification.

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The same day will also see Tunisia facing Uganda at Stade Annexe of Prince Moulay in Rabat, a key encounter that could determine the early group leaders. 

The Carthage Eagles, winners of the 2004 AFCON, will look to assert their dominance, while Uganda’s Cranes will be eager to cause an upset.

Super Eagles Face Tunisia in a Crucial Clash

One of the standout matches in Group C will be the Nigeria vs Tunisia showdown on December 27 at Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.

This fixture revives an old rivalry, with Tunisia having famously knocked Nigeria out of AFCON 2021 in the Round of 16. The Super Eagles will be determined to exact revenge.

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Meanwhile, the East African derby will unfold on the same day as Uganda battles Tanzania at Stade El Bardi in Rabat.

The encounter will carry extra significance as both nations will co-host AFCON 2027, and this match will serve as an early test of their competitiveness.

Final Group C Showdowns on December 31

The last round of Group C matches will take place on December 31, with Uganda facing Nigeria at Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fès.

By this stage, Uganda may need to pull off an upset to secure a place in the knockout rounds.

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At the same time, Tunisia will take on Tanzania at Stade Annexe of Prince Moulay in Rabat, a fixture that could be crucial for both teams’ qualification hopes.

With only two automatic qualification spots and a possible third-place route to the Round of 16, Group C is set to be one of the most unpredictable groups in AFCON 2025.


Group C Fixtures – AFCON 2025

MatchdayFixtureDateStadiumCity
1Nigeria vs Tanzania23 Dec 2025Complexe Sportif de FèsFès
1Tunisia vs Uganda23 Dec 2025Stade Annexe – Prince Moulay Rabat
2Uganda vs Tanzania27 Dec 2025Stade El BardiRabat
2Nigeria vs Tunisia27 Dec 2025Complexe Sportif de FèsFès
3Uganda vs Nigeria30 Dec 2025Complexe Sportif de FèsFès
3Tunisia vs Tanzania30 Dec 2025Stade Annexe – Prince Moulay Rabat

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Match schedule for Africa Cup Nations now available for download

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Africa’s football governing body, CAF has released the full fixtures for the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco.

Click here to download the full match schedule 

Nine stadiums, the highest so far, will be used. They are spread across six cities for the continent’s greatest football show.

Morocco and Comoros will kick off the tournament on 21 December 2025 with a Group A fixture at the newly-built 69,500-seater Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, a fitting stage for the grand opening.

Rabat will have four match venues, with other host cities Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier to have one each.

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The four quarter-final fixtures will be played at the Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, as well as in Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir.

The semi-finals will be in Rabat and Tangier, with the third-place play-off set for the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.

There will be 52 matches over 29 days in a feast of football for fans that showcases the skill and passion of African football.

Click here to download the full match schedule 

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Coach of Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 first opponents, Hemed Suleiman Ali talks tough

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Head coach of the Taifa Stars, Hemed Suleiman Ali has admitted that his team has zero options after being grouped with two former champions, Nigeria and Tunisia in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

In an interview with CAFOnline, Ali remarked that his team was condemned to overcome the two tough opponents to get beyond the group stage.

Morocco 2025 will be Tanzania’s fourth outing having debuted in Nigeria in 1980 and qualifying for a second time at Egypt 2019 after being guided by a Nigerian coach, Emmanuel Amuneke.

They made their third outing at Cote d’Ivoire 2023.  

The Tanzania head coach was reacting to Monday evening’s AFCON Morocco 2025 draw in Rabat which saw the East Africans drawn in an interesting group that pairs them with neighbours Uganda, as well as two former African champions Nigeria and Tunisia.

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He remarked that every group of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 presents its challenges and that their Group C pool is no different to any of the other five groups.

Tanzania, a fast-growing African football nation is headed to its Africa Cup of Nations, with their third in Cote d’Ivoire.

“We are ready. We saw who we are going to play with. I think it’s a tough group but it’s tough for all of them. There is no easy group. If you have qualified for this stage of the competition, you have to prepare. We know who we are facing, and we know how we will prepare for them. There is no other way, we have to prepare well and represent our people well at this tournament” said the 54-year-old coach.

The Morocco finals mark the coach’s second consecutive appearance as head coach of the Taffia Stars.

Suleiman Ali took over the reins from as Interim Coach at the Cote d’Ivoire finals after the dismissal of Adel Amrouche in the group stages.

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Under his guidance, Tanzania qualified for the finals through back-to-back victories against Guinea and Ethiopia, including a crucial 1-0 win over Guinea, sealed by Saimon Happygod Msuva’s decisive goal.

Tanzania will also be hoping to secure their first win of the competition, having played 9 matches, drawn three and lost six.

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