The Nigerian Super Eagles will play some of the biggest football teams in Africa as they go to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout stage.
Nigeria had a great start to the competition, defeating Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Nigeria led Group C with nine points after three games. Tanzania came in third with two, Tunisia came in second with four, and Uganda came in last with one point.
Nigeria’s opponent in the Round of 16 is yet unknown; however, on January 5, 2026, they will play one of the teams that placed among the top third-place teams in the groups. This matchup is anticipated to be manageable.
They will, however, probably compete against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the quarterfinals to advance to the next round.
After their impressive group stage performances, both likely rivals have shown themselves to be strong teams in the competition.
It is noteworthy that Nigeria was ousted from the continental World Cup playoffs by DR Congo, which prevented them from participating in the Mundial for the second time in a row.
The Super Eagles may face the hosts or one of the competition’s favourites if they defeat their quarterfinal opponents, making the road even more difficult.
In the Round of 16, Morocco will play Tanzania; if they prevail, they will either play South Africa, who finished third in the 2023 AFCON, or another team that has not yet been decided.
Nigeria might therefore play either South Africa’s Bafana Bafana or the hosts, Morocco, in the semifinals, which would be a cagey match.
Stars like Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey of Fulham, Ademola Lookman of Atalanta, Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray, and seasoned custodian Stanley Nwabali are all part of the Super Eagles.
After losing out on the 2026 World Cup, Nigeria is determined to win their fourth AFCON championship to satisfy supporters, but they have a difficult journey ahead of them.
View the journey to the final in the image below:
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