Nigeria will face Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania in Group C of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the draw for the tournament in Morocco was confirmed on Wednesday.
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has ruled that clubs must release players for national duty by Monday, 15 December, a directive aimed at easing long-running tensions between European teams and African federations.
The update was first disclosed by Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, who posted the development on his official X account.
Romano wrote that FIFA would “mediate to resolve disputes,” adding that the mandatory release period had been shortened by seven days “to reduce conflict with European competitions.”
The 2025 AFCON kicks off in Morocco on 21 December and runs until 18 January 2026, but disagreements had persisted over when clubs were required to free their players.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle has unveiled a provisional 55-man squad for the Super Eagles’ campaign in Morocco.
The list features captain William Troost-Ekong, striker Victor Osimhen, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Other leading names include goalkeeper Maduka Okoye; defenders Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi; midfielders Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika; and forwards Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Simon Moses and Chidera Ejuke.
Five Nigeria Premier Football League players, Abdulrasheed Shehu, Ebenezer Harcourt, Ekeson Okorie, Chisom Orji and Adekunle Adeleke, have also been handed provisional places.
Chelle is expected to prune the squad to 28 players in the coming days. The team will travel to a training camp in Egypt on 10 December, where they will play several friendly matches before flying to Morocco for the tournament.
Nigeria will compete in Group C against Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
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