All is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw billed for Ivory Coast on Wednesday, July 12.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are among the teams that will know their opponents for the qualifiers.
The 2013 Nations Cup winners are also part of the top nine seeds for the group stage.
The remaining 8 teams are reigning African champions Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia Algeria, Mali, Cameroon, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles will hope to avoid arch-rivals Black Stars of Ghana who are among the second-seeded teams for qualifiers.
All nine group winners will secure automatic qualification for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup.
The best four runners-up will then go into play-offs, and the winners join five other teams in an inter-confederation tournament with two World Cup places up for grabs.
The qualifiers will kick off in November this year.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.
WDN