Group of Death? Nigeria's Cote d'Ivoire 2025 group named 'the toughest' by former African star

Nigeria's quest for glory in the upcoming Africa U20 Cup of Nations has been labelled as the "toughest" by former Mali international Adama Coulibaly.

The Flying Eagles will face formidable opponents Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco in Group B of the tournament, scheduled to take place in Cote d'Ivoire from April 26 to May 18, 2025.

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The seven-time champions, Nigeria, will need to navigate a tough group phase to secure their spot in the quarter-finals.

Coulibaly, who assisted during the draw held at the CAF headquarters in Cairo on Thursday, emphasised the competitiveness of Group B.

“There is no doubt that the toughest group is Group B which has Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco,” he stated from Egypt per NFF.

Historically, Nigeria has had success against Egypt, having defeated them 1-0 in their last group match during the previous tournament.

However, they finished third in that edition and will need a strong start to build confidence this time around.

The tournament features three groups:

• Group A: Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, UNNIFAC (yet-to-emerge representative)

• Group B: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco

• Group C: Senegal (defending champions), Zambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone

The top two teams from each group and the best two third-placed teams will advance to the quarter-finals.

Nigeria's Flying Eagles are looking to reclaim their status as a dominant force in African youth football.

Having previously won the tournament multiple times, they aim to capitalise on their experience and talent to progress deep into the competition.

As the countdown to Cote d'Ivoire 2025 begins, all eyes will be on Nigeria as they prepare for what promises to be an exhilarating tournament against some of Africa’s best young talents.