By Toibat Ogunyanju
Nigeria and Benin Republic find themselves in a battle of hope and doubt after being placed in the same group for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers. Fresh from beating Nigeria 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.
The Super Eagles and the Cheetahs, who recently clashed in the World Cup qualifiers, are now grouped together alongside Libya and Rwanda. The upcoming AFCON has been rescheduled to December 2025 to January 2026 due to FIFA’s congested calendar. The qualifying series will span over several FIFA windows with matches scheduled in September, October, and November.
The detailed fixtures are set to be announced by CAF shortly. Nigeria’s recent defeat to Benin Republic, managed by former Nigerian coach Genort Rohr, has impacted their World Cup aspirations, leading to changes in coaching staff. Rwanda currently leads Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying group, setting the stage for an interesting clash between the two teams in the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.