With a match to spare, Nigeria will join 10 other countries who have booked their places in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), to be hosted by Morocco, if the Super Eagles avoid defeat to Les Guépards of Benin Republic.
The match comes up at 8 pm (Lagos time) at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny (nicknamed Le Félicia), a multi-purpose stadium in Abidjan, capital of Côte d’Ivoire.
Winners as hosts in 1980, in Tunisia 1994 and South Africa 2013, Nigeria missed the fourth title in the last edition when Côte d’Ivoire with the Elephants coming from behind to win 2-1.
Matchday 5 of the qualifiers are being played between Wednesday and Saturday in 24 centres with hosts Morocco already through to the finals via the qualifiers.
The Atlas Lions are aiming to lay their hands on the trophy for the second time after their only hurrah in 1976. It was the only time the championship (now heading towards its 35th edition), will feature a round-robin of four teams in the finals. Other countries in Ethiopia 1976 were Guinea (runners-up), Nigeria (bronze medalists) and Egypt.
Morocco hosted the 1988 edition, won by Cameroon who beat Nigeria by a lone goal in the final.
Other former champions who will be in Morocco 2025 are most decorated side, Egypt (seven-time winners), Cameroon (five times), Côte d’Ivoire (three times), Algeria and DR Congo (each two times); and Senegal (one time).
Also heading to Morocco 2025 are Burkina Faso (losing finalists to Nigeria in South Africa 2013). Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
The competition of 24 teams and 52 matches starts on 21 December 2025 with the champions emerging on 18 January 2026. Morocco will be hosting AFCON 2025 in six stadiums located in six cities.
Thirteen other slots are to be filled on or before the group phase qualifying round ends next Tuesday.
Tunisia, hosts and winners in 2004, top Group A of Morocco 2025 qualifiers. But with five points separating the teams here, the two teams to emerge may be determined on Matchday 6. Tunisia have seven points from four matches, Comoros Islands (six points), The Gambia (five), while Madagascar have picked only two points.
This evening, Madagascar host Tunisia in Pretoria, South Africa, while The Gambia welcome Comoros Island to Berkane in Morocco the next day.
In Group B, Gabon will join Morocco as qualifiers if they beat the Atlas Lions on Friday in Franceville, one of the four largest cities in Gabon. If Central Africa Republic overcome minnows Lesotho in Thursday’s game, and Gabon fail to triumph at home against Morocco, Les Panthères will have to wait for the last match of this phase against Central Africa Republic on Monday to determine their fate.
With Egypt already in the finals, the contest for the other slot in Group C involves second-placed Botswana, Cape Verde Islands and Mauritania. Victory for Botswana over Mauritania on Friday plus a draw between Cape Verde Islands and Egypt will see the Southern African side qualify for AFCON for the first time since their debut in 2012, jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
In Group D, which features Nigeria, Libya will be eliminated unless the North Africans secure at least a point in Rwanda, who desire maximum points to boost their qualification chances. Benin Republic will almost be good to go should they triumph over the Super Eagles in Abidjan.
The two qualifiers in Group E are already known. Algeria top the table having won all four matches, while Equatorial Guinea made it when Liberia pipped Togo by a lone goal on Wednesday.
Like Egypt and Algeria, Angola also won all their four qualifying matches so far to advance to the finals of Morocco 2025 from Group F. And the fate of the Black Stars of Ghana will be sealed if Sudan avoid defeat to Niger Republic this evening in the Togolese capital, Lomé.
Winners in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982, Ghana have had a qualification to forget, unable to win a single match out of four, and picking only draws against Niger Republic and Sudan to stand on the verge of elimination.
In Group G, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire did not have to play Matchday 5 fixture in Zambia on Friday before going through to the finals. On Wednesday, ‘hosts’ Chad forced Sierra Leone to 1-1 in Abidjan to give Les Éléphants a passage to the finals.
Sierra Leone will be praying for Zambia to lose at home to Côte d’Ivoire, a result that will make Matchday 6 encounter between hosts Sierra and Zambia a must-win for the Leone Stars.
Group H has another team with a 100 per cent result in DR Congo, while Ethiopia are already eliminated having collected only a point in four matches. Guinea, with six points, and Tanzania (four) struggle for the remaining slot here.
The results of Saturday’s encounters between Ethiopia and Tanzania, and Guinea and DR Congo will determine if the second slot will not have to wait for the head-to-head between Tanzania and Guinea on the last day of the qualifiers.
Only Eswatini are out of the race in Group I. Mozambique and Mali are tied at the top on eight points each, while Guinea-Bissau have four points. On Friday, Mozambique travel to face Mali, while Eswatini host Guinea-Bissau.
Even before their goalless result against Namibia on Wednesday in Group J, Cameroon had been on to Morocco 2025. A draw for Zimbabwe at home to Kenya on Friday will be enough to see the Warriors through.
It remains a three-horse race in Group K featuring leaders Uganda (10 points), second placed South Africa (eight points) and Congo Republic (four points).
A top clash is expected on Friday in Kampala as Uganda welcome South Africa to Mandela National Stadium. The winners of that game will be in Morocco 2025.
The contest in Group L has been concluded with Burkina Faso and Senegal the qualifiers.
