Flying Eagles get tough U-20 AFCON draw

Seven-time champions Nigeria will battle with Egypt, South Africa and Morocco in Group B of the 2025 U-20 AFCON, scheduled for Ivory Coast between April 26 and May 18.

The draw for the tournament was made at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.

It’s the second consecutive time Nigeria will be in the same group as Egypt in the competition.

The Flying Eagles pipped the Young Pharaohs, who were also hosts of the last edition 1-0 in a group phase match in 2023, and they must ensure a great start to their campaign in Ivory Coast to build confidence for a tough tournament which will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile from September 27 to October 19.

Nigeria finished third in Egypt two years ago.

Former Malian player Adama Coulibaly, an assistant at the draw conducted inside the CAF headquarters in Egypt on Thursday, said, “There is no doubt that the toughest group is the group B that has Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco.”

Hosts Ivory will have to contend with DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and the yet-to-emerge representative team of the Central Africa zone, in a five-team group A.