Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been ranked among the top three teams for the 2025 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the tournament’s draw procedure, Soccernet.ng reports.
The biennial youth competition will take place in Côte d’Ivoire from April 26 to May 18, 2025, featuring 13 teams from across the continent.
Alongside Nigeria, the qualified nations include Egypt and Morocco (North Africa), holders Senegal and Sierra Leone (WAFU A), Ghana and hosts Côte d’Ivoire (WAFU B), Tanzania and Kenya (CECAFA), South Africa and Zambia (COSAFA), and DR Congo (Central Africa).
Nigeria won the WAFU B regional championship late last year, beating Ghana in the final.
We win!
Fulltime in Lome
Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
Kparobo Arierhi’s two goals in the final hands Nigeria the WAFU B U20 title.#SoarFlyingEagles pic.twitter.com/vGu1UYzc6r
— The NFF (@thenff) October 30, 2024
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, the most successful team in the tournament’s history with seven titles, finished third in the 2023 edition, which was won by Senegal.
As a result, they are among the top-seeded teams, alongside Senegal and hosts Côte d’Ivoire, as per Ghana FA.
2025 U20 AFCON: Tournament Format & Draw Procedure
The 13 teams will be divided into three groups:
Group A will have five teams, while
Groups B and C will each contain four teams.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will qualify for the quarterfinals, leading to the semifinals, third-place playoff, and final.
CAF’s ranking for the draw is as follows:
Senegal – Winners in 2023
Nigeria – Third place in 2023
Congo – Second in group stage
Egypt – Third in group stage
Zambia – Fourth in group stage
The hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, will automatically take position A1, while Senegal and Nigeria will occupy positions C1 and B1, respectively.
The draw will be conducted using five pots:
Pot 1: Congo, Egypt, Zambia (to be drawn into A2, B2, and C2)
Pot 2: The remaining seven teams (to be drawn into various group positions)
Pot 3-5: Assigned for positions A3, B3, C3, A4, B4, C4, and A5
Nigeria Flying Eagles’ Legacy
Nigeria remain the dominant force in U-20 AFCON history with seven titles and has also finished as runners-up twice at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Their last U-20 AFCON triumph came in 2015, when they defeated hosts Senegal 1-0 in the final in Dakar.
With the 2025 edition set to showcase Africa’s brightest young talents, Nigeria will aim to reclaim their crown and extend their record as the competition’s most successful team.