The Africa Cup of Nations tournament (AFCON) is set to commence with a grand opening in Morocco, featuring 24 teams vying for the prestigious trophy. The host nation, Morocco, will kick off the competition against Comoros at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat. Reigning African Champions – Ivory Coast, alongside hosts Morocco, are widely considered the top favourites to win the 2025 edition, especially given their unbeaten qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they won eight games and drew just two.

Ahead of the competition, Soccernet.ng has provided a comprehensive power ranking of all 24 participating teams, from the least to the top, offering insights into each team's potential performance. These rankings are primarily influenced by the latest FIFA Rankings.

At the bottom of the power rankings, **Botswana** sits at 24th, currently 137th in FIFA rankings. With a team value of €2.5m, they face a challenging Group D alongside the Republic of Benin, DR Congo, and Senegal, making qualification to the knockout rounds an uphill battle. **Zimbabwe** is ranked 23rd (129th in FIFA), having drawn the Super Eagles twice in World Cup qualifiers. Placed in Group B with Angola, Egypt, and South Africa, an early group stage exit is anticipated. **Sudan**, 22nd (119th in FIFA) and valued at approximately €1.5m, enters AFCON 2025 without a win in their previous eight games. They are in Group E with Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Equatorial Guinea. **Comoros**, 21st (112th in FIFA), makes its second-ever AFCON appearance. Despite dropping seven places in FIFA rankings, their meteoric rise under coach Stefano Cusin, with a team worth €17.9m, suggests they could be a dark horse in Group A, alongside Mali, Zambia, and Morocco. **Tanzania** is 20th (107th in FIFA) and has the lowest market value (€2.33m) in Group C, where they face Uganda, Tunisia, and Nigeria, with odds favouring them to finish last. **Mozambique** is 19th (101st in FIFA) and will be making their 6th AFCON appearance in Group F against Cameroon, Gabon, and Ivory Coast. **Equatorial Guinea** is 18th (99th in FIFA), notable for producing the previous AFCON's highest goalscorer, Emiliano Nsue. They are in Group E. **Benin Republic** is 17th (92nd in FIFA) and returns to the African stage after a six-year absence, drawn in Group D, with a chance to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. **Angola** is 16th (89th in FIFA), having reached the quarter-finals in Ivory Coast, and will battle Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in Group B. **Zambia** is 15th (87th in FIFA), experiencing poor form with eight losses in their last ten games, which might lead to an early exit from Group A against Mali, Morocco, and Comoros. **Uganda** is 14th (83rd in FIFA), with a squad worth €5.38m, anticipating a decent campaign in Group C against Nigeria and Tunisia. **Gabon** is 13th (77th in FIFA), with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading their attack, posing a significant threat in Group F against Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique. **Burkina Faso** is 12th (63rd in FIFA), boasting one of the most expensive African teams at €100.58m, and is expected to comfortably navigate Group E. **DR Congo** is 11th (60th in FIFA), with a defensively stable team including Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, and is in Group D. **South Africa** is 10th (59th in FIFA), having secured a bronze medal at AFCON 2023 and qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making them strong favourites in Group B. **Cameroon** is 9th, with a market value of €249.50m and European stars like Bryan Mbeumo. They have a real chance of winning in Morocco, competing in Group F. **Mali** is 8th (53rd in FIFA), making the biggest leap in the African FIFA rankings, and has a promising Group A with Morocco as their toughest opponent. **Tunisia** is 7th (43rd in FIFA), showcasing an airtight attack and defence with 13 goals scored and four clean sheets in their last four games, potentially proving doubters wrong. **Ivory Coast** is 6th, having already secured a 2026 FIFA World Cup spot. The three-time AFCON winners, with a squad value of €274.93m, face a tough Group F. **Nigeria** is 5th (41st in FIFA), with a semi-final spot expected after claiming a silver medal in the previous AFCON. They are in Group C. **Algeria** is 4th (35th in FIFA), unbeaten in their last nine games, and is likely to top Group E. **Egypt** is 3rd, on a 14-game unbeaten run and having defeated Nigeria in a friendly. They will be a formidable opponent in Group C despite a poor campaign last time out. **Senegal** is 2nd (18th in FIFA), boasting arguably the most balanced African team with a market value of €288m, and is expected to top Group D, with a semi-final exit anticipated. Finally, **Morocco** is 1st (12th in FIFA). As hosts, with massive home crowd support, a market value of €416.80m (the highest in Africa), and seven wins from their last nine games, they are the favourites to win AFCON 2025, with Group A opponents Mali, Comoros, and Zambia considered no match for them.

The **Super Eagles of Nigeria** have been drawn into AFCON Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. To navigate the competition successfully, the team's coaching staff and players must operate in unison. The coaching crew is spearheaded by head coach **Eric Chelle**, a 48-year-old Franco-Malian appointed in January 2025. Chelle has demonstrably improved Nigeria's results, averaging 1.8 points per game, and aims to secure Nigeria's fourth AFCON Gold medal.

Supporting Chelle are five key backroom staff members: **Daniel Ogunmodede**, nicknamed Ijaball, is a Remo Stars head coach who served as an assistant under Augustine Eguavoen and continued under Chelle. Ogunmodede's experience includes leading Remo Stars to their maiden league trophy, providing valuable insight into local players. **Fidelis Ilechukwu**, the Rangers head coach, was also an assistant during Eguavoen's interim tenure and achieved an NPFL title with Rangers. **Hedi Taboubi**, 42, a French-Tunisian, serves as the first assistant coach, having previously worked with Chelle at the Malian National team and MC Oran, and also as a video analyst for Comoros. **Thomas Gornourec**, 38, from France, is the fitness trainer. Holding a UEFA A license and a master's degree in Professional Performance Engineering, he has worked with various African countries like Madagascar and Mali. **Jean Daniel Padovani**, 45, is the goalkeeping coach. A former tier-one French club goalkeeper, Padovani also served as an Academy goalkeeping coordinator at Paris Saint-Germain and has experience with Comoros and Cameroon.

However, Nigeria's preparations for AFCON 2025 have been met with severe criticism. Former Super Eagles captain **John Mikel Obi** launched a fierce critique of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), labelling their arrangements as