Nigeria To Face Ghana, Senegal in CAF’s New Annual Nations League

Nigeria To Face Ghana, Senegal in CAF’s New Annual Nations League

By Admin 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are poised for a series of high-profile regional encounters after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) clarified the structure of its newly introduced African Nations League, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe formally unveiled the competition’s format and calendar in Dar es Salaam, confirming that the tournament will commence in 2029. Designed to provide consistent, high-level competition for all 54 member associations, the African Nations League will operate on a zonal, home-and-away format rather than being staged in a single host nation.

For Nigeria national football team, the implications are significant. The Super Eagles have been placed in the 16-nation West Africa Zone, where they will face long-standing rivals including Senegal national football team, Ghana national football team, Ivory Coast national football team, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea during the group phase.

Unlike the Africa Cup of Nations, which will shift to a four-year cycle from 2028, the African Nations League is intended to fill the competitive calendar by delivering meaningful fixtures annually during the FIFA international windows in September and October. Zonal winners will progress to a continental finals stage, though the tournament will not be tied to a permanent host.

CAF has also announced a $10 million prize for the overall champions, underscoring its ambition to establish the competition as a major fixture in African football.

The tournament will be divided into four geographic zones:

North Africa (6 nations): Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Mauritania.

East Africa (16 nations): Including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Rwanda.

West Africa (16 nations): Including Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

Central and Southern Africa (16 nations): Including DR Congo, South Africa, Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

With preparations underway for the 2029 launch, Nigerian football stakeholders will be monitoring developments closely, as the African Nations League promises a new era of sustained regional rivalries and competitive growth for the Super Eagles.