Aiming for retribution against Benin, Nigeria begins AFCON qualifying.

When Nigeria seeks retribution against neighboring Benin in the opening round of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying on Wednesday, they will be led by interim coach Augustine Eguavoen.

After German Bruno Labbadia apparently decided against taking over because the Nigeria Football Federation would not pay his tax bill, he was a late substitute.

Former Bundesliga manager Labbadia was supposed to take on fellow countryman Gernot Rohr, who three months prior had orchestrated Benin’s 2-1 triumph over Nigeria in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

The Benin Cheetahs stunned opponents by coming from behind and scoring goals from Steve Mounie and Jodel Dossou, who are ranked 52 spots higher in the world.

For 71-year-old Rohr, the victory was especially satisfying because he led Nigeria for five years until being fired due to growing public criticism after underwhelming outcomes.

After just four games as the Super Eagles coach, former standout Finidi George resigned due to the team’s loss against Benin.

Nigeria, who had an abundance of attacking skill, finished second in the 2024 Cup of Nations, losing to host Ivory Coast.

Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface, and reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen are a few of the players Eguavoen can select for the Group D match in the southeast city of Uyo.

Here, AFP Sport examines five additional highly anticipated opening-round games that are scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday.

Namibia versus Cameroon

The location of the Group J match has been unclear due to ongoing disputes between the Cameroonian sports ministry and the Samuel Eto’o-led national football federation.

The match was originally scheduled for the Atlantic town of Douala; but, the ministry shifted it to the capital, Yaounde, after former Barcelona star Eto’o insisted on playing in Garoua.

A rift between the government and football authorities began when the ministry selected Belgian Marc Brys as coach this season instead of Eto’o.

Cape Verde vs. Egypt

Egypt, the seven-time champions of the Cup of Nations, struggled in the 2024 competition, losing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.

Mohamed Salah, the captain of his country and a prominent player for Liverpool, was severely disappointed in the tournament when an injury sustained during the group stage forced an unplanned early return to England.

Despite having home advantage, Egypt will be cautious while facing Cape Verde in Group C after the island nation stole a group draw in the final minute of this year’s Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.

Zambia vs. Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast player who won the match against Nigeria in the 2024 Cup of Nations final, Sebastien Haller, has been ruled out since he was occupied with a trade from Borussia Dortmund to Leganes.

“We know Zambia having played them in the last Cup of Nations qualifying competition, so it will be a difficult match for us,” coach Emerse Fae remarked, alluding to a win and a loss at home.

After missing the last three Cup of Nations qualifiers, Zambia will play their opening Group G match without injured attacker Patson Daka.

Morocco versus Gabon

Coach Walid Regragui has Soufiane Rahimi as one of his forward options. Rahimi set a record for bronze medalists Morocco in the 2024 Paris Olympics by scoring in six straight games.

Morocco was eliminated from the Cup of Nations this year after losing to South Africa in the last 16 of the competition, despite being the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in Qatar two years prior.

The Atlas Lions decided to play in Group B in order to obtain competitive match experience, even though they were automatically qualified as hosts for the 2025 finals.

Uganda versus South Africa

Ronwen Williams, South Africa’s standout goalkeeper and captain, is injured and won’t play in the Group K match in Soweto. South Africa surprised everyone by finishing third at the 2024 Cup of Nations.

Moving forward Another player missing is Percy Tau, who is rumored to be joining Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, the team led by South African Rulani Mokwena, instead of African champions Al Ahly of Egypt.

Given that their former goalkeeper, Denis Onyango, has been based in South Africa since 2006 and continues to play sporadically for Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria, Uganda will probably be well-informed.