Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has warned against the assumption that there are any “easy” groupings for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Finals.
The final draw for the continent’s premier tournament took place on Monday at the Mohamed V Theatre in Rabat.
The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four, with three-time champions Nigeria placed in Group C alongside Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles, Uganda’s Cranes, and Tanzania’s Taifa Stars. The Eagles will begin their campaign against the Taifa Stars.
Despite the tournament still being months away, some pundits have already started predicting which teams will progress, but Rohr cautioned that it’s premature to make such assumptions.
But Rohr who incidentally guided Nigeria to a bronze medal finish at the 2019 edition in Egypt, said there are no easy groups , adding all the teams irrespective of their stature and current status in African football must gird their loins for the tournament holding between December 21 and February 18, 2026.
All the groups are difficult,” the former Bordeaux coach told NationSport in his post-draw analysis. “Even Nigeria group is not going to be easy with Tunisia again, Uganda and Tanzania.”
But for keen followers of African football, Rohr’s Benin are one of the teams that came out ‘worse’ from Monday’s Final Draw after being housed with two former champions, Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo along with Botswana.
“Yes, our group is difficult because we have the fantastic team of Senegal, Congo DR and even Botswana is not easy to beat,” the usually Teutonic Rohr, admitted. “As such, we are going to be careful and have to prepare very well.”
With four other best losers to join 12 others that finished first and second across the six groups into the competition’s Round of 16, the 71-year-old Rohr said the Cheetahs must be bold and courageous in their approach to their three preliminary group matches.
“Of course, we have a chance to qualify from this difficult group,” Rohr who guided Nigeria to her last World Cup at Russia 2018 in a tough section that had former African champions including Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia, further told Nation sport.
” With four other best losers to progress to the next round, third position (from this group) can also be very interesting.
” Our first game will be against Congo DR and the second one against Botswana, we have to win one of these two matches before our last game against Senegal.
“But we hope to come out of this group and get to the last 16 first,” he added.