Nigeria’s Home Eagles are set to face a challenging first-round draw at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) due to their absence from the list of seeded teams.
The official draw will take place on Tuesday at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, with Nigeria’s national team preparing for their return to the competition after a six-year hiatus.
Their qualification was secured last weekend when they triumphed over Ghana, winning 3-1 on aggregate in the final qualifying round.
The CHAN draw is based on team rankings derived from the results of the last three editions of the competition (2022, 2020, and 2018).
As a result, the Home Eagles will face teams that have performed consistently in recent tournaments, making their journey to the later stages of the competition potentially more difficult.
The top-seeded teams in the draw will include the co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, along with defending champions Senegal.
These teams will be placed in Pot 1, which will ensure that they are pitted against lower-ranked teams in the opening round.
CHAN is unique in that it exclusively features national teams made up of players who are based in their home countries’ domestic leagues.
The tournament, which will run from February 1 to 28, 2025, serves as a platform for showcasing the talents of local players, with the Home Eagles eager to make an impact following their lengthy absence from the continental showpiece.
With the draw fast approaching, the Eagles will be hoping for a favorable grouping to ease their return to the competition and secure a strong start in their quest to reclaim glory at the CHAN.
