Nigeria has been given the opportunity to assert its superiority over the Benin Republic, which defeated the Super Eagles in a World Cup qualifier last month.
The June 10 defeat was the Cheetahs’ first triumph over the Super Eagles in over 30 years, and many followers of the Nigerian team believe it was a misnomer that fed on the three-time African champion’s carelessness.
Yesterday, the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations draw, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, allowed the Super Eagles’ to show that they are superior to the Cheetahs by placing the two teams in the same group, in the qualifying rounds.
The reverse leg of their FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture is not until the final day of the qualification series (6th – 14th October 2025), but both teams have much earlier battles to fight later this year as they aim to be among the 24 countries that will participate in the 35th Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco, from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
At the draw ceremony conducted inside the SuperSport Studio, yesterday, the Super Eagles also drew the Amavubi of Rwanda – another team in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, and which they next play in the series in March 2025 – as well as the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. All four teams are in Group D.
The six-match qualifying series has been spread over the FIFA windows in September, October, and November, with two matches in each seven-day window.
Other groups in the qualifying series are A, which has Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, and The Gambia, Group B, which comprises Morocco, Gabon, Central African Republic, and Lesotho, as well as, Group C, which is home of Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania and Botswana.
There are also Group E, which comprises Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, and Liberia, Group F, housing Ghana, Angola, Sudan, and Niger Republic, and Group G with Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Chad.
In Group H is DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, Group I has Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, and Eswatini, Group J is made up of Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
There is also Group K, which has South Africa, Uganda, Congo, and South Sudan, as well as Group L, comprising Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Burundi.
