AFCON 2025 Group C Predictions: Former champs Nigeria and Tunisia head up fascinating group

After losing from a winning position in the 2023 final, Nigeria enter the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations needing to overcome Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda in Group C.

Eric Chelle leads the three-time African champions this time, but can he lead the Super Eagles to a first triumph since 2013? Read on for my Afcon Group C predictions, full team-by-team previews and Betfred’s latest odds.

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Nigeria

Fifa world ranking: 38

To win the group: 5/6

To run through the current Nigeria squad is to realise the depth of quality available to Chelle.

Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Wilfried Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze… the list of notable stars goes on. And, as such, the former Mali boss will face a number of questions if the Super Eagles don’t make a real dent on the latter stages.

But, as so often, there are questions to be asked about potential turmoil undermining their progress. They were beaten by DR Congo on penalties in the second round of World Cup qualifying, meaning they missed out on a second successive trip to football’s biggest jamboree.

Can they get things back on track over the next month?

Key player: Victor Osimhen

The star striker in Napoli’s 2023 Serie A title win, Osimhen has gone on to score goals in abundance with both Galatasaray and Nigeria. The 26-year-old has netted 16 goals in 23 caps since the beginning of 2023, taking his overall tally to 31 in 45.

Few African players have had such a spell at the top level of the sport over recent years, and if Osimhen can replicate that form over seven games between now and mid-January, then Nigeria have to be in the running for honours.

Prediction: The difficulty with judging Nigeria in any tournament is predicting what turmoil might come with them. Their recent World Cup exit was put down to “voodoo” on the part of the DR Congo players by coach Chelle.

They ought to have more than enough to come out of the group, but a path which is likely to lead them through at least three fellow big-guns will be tough to negotiate unscathed.

Football Odds

Tanzania

Fifa world ranking: 112

To win the group: 9/1

A nation competing in just its fourth Afcon finals, Tanzania will be looking to record their first win at the tournament. In all of their previous visits – in 1980, 2019 and 2023 – they have finished bottom of their group.

There is room for optimism this time around after they edged out Guinea to qualify, although their lack of victories so far in 2025 helped to ensure they got nowhere near next year’s World Cup.

Head coach Hemed Morocco has quite a job on with a group of players largely taken from the Tanzanian national leagues.

Key player: Mbwana Samatta

He might not have scored more than seven league goals in any campaign since his 23-goal season of 2018/19 with Genk, but this Le Havre front man has the experience necessary to pull the rest of the squad along with him.

Samatta’s better days are undoubtedly behind him. But alongside team-mates which include Rochdale’s Tarryn Allarakhia and Haji Mnoga of Salford City, the 85-cap striker is going to have to be a leader if Tanzania are to outperform their best return of two points in 2023.

Prediction: The biggest target has to be that elusive first win in their fourth visit to the finals, but even that might not be enough for them to progress as one of the best third-place teams.

The clash with Uganda on December 27 could turn out to be one of the biggest moments in Tanzanian football history.

Africa Cup of Nations Odds

Tunisia

Fifa world ranking: 40

To win the group: 13/8

It feels as though Tunisia should have far more success to their name than they have. Since being crowned champions of Africa for the one and only time in 2004, they have reached the last four only once in 10 attempts.

Their 81-cap former centre-back Sami Trabelsi is now the head coach who has been tasked with leading a talented group to the latter stages.

With the likes of Burnley youngster Hannibal Mejbri, Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti and Ellyes Skhiri of Eintracht Frankfurt, they have a number of players who could provide key moments in crucial games.

Key player: Hannibal Mejbri

Some people at Manchester United thought the Red Devils were onto a megastar in the making when they beat a number of fellow giants to the signature of Mejbri.

And while his career path hasn’t taken the trajectory many were predicting, his 39 caps by the age of 22 show just what he can mean to this Tunisia side already when at his best.

If he can fire, Tunisia might well do so too. Certainly, any opponent will not feel comfortable if he’s on his game.

Prediction: In a relatively soft group, aside from Nigeria’s potential power, Trabelsi’s troops should have more than enough to progress.

From there, it’s about them having the durability to fight off a number of similarly-placed nations in the last eight and beyond.

Uganda

Fifa world ranking: 85

To win the group: 11/1

Other than a phenomenal run to the final in Ghana in 1978, back when Burkina Faso was Upper Volta and Starburst were Opal Fruits, Uganda have only won one of 30 matches at the Africa Cup of Nations.

That other victory did come on their most recent appearance at Egypt 2019, but if they are to get close to repeating that Round of 16 visit they are going to have to completely outperform themselves.

Head coach Paul Put is the archetypal globetrotting nomad, with 14 coaching appointments – including seven national-team jobs – in barely a quarter of a century. And he has a fairly disparate squad to choose from both in terms of club geography and quality.

Key player: Allan Okello

Nobody in this Uganda squad has scored more goals than Okello, a dynamic 25-year-old midfielder with a bit of something about him in the final third.

That fact that his six strikes for his nation have him sat as the joint-top scorer among the selection say a lot about Uganda’s occasional toothlessness, but if Okello can grab even a couple at this Afcon then the Cranes have a chance of causing one upset at the very least.

One of nine representatives of Ugandan clubs at Put’s disposal, and the most experienced of three from Vipers, Okello’s performances could have a big sway on whether his country can add to their low total of all-time wins at the Afcon.

Prediction: The best bet would be to look at them getting something out of their group clash with Tanzania and going from there.

In a tournament which might the bar set reasonably high for entry into the knockouts, Uganda will need to be at their very best to get close to it.

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