AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Nigeria to Face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria will face Madagascar, Tanzania, and Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The qualifiers will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda...

Scraper SystemMay 20, 2026, 06:37 PM

AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Nigeria to Face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau

The Nigeria Super Eagles have been drawn in the same group as Madagascar, Tanzania, and Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. In this group, named Group L, Tanzania, as one of the hosts, has already secured direct qualification to the finals. However, Tanzania will participate in the qualifiers, and only one more team alongside Tanzania will advance to the finals. For Nigeria, this group represents both an opportunity and a challenging contest that requires attention. The Super Eagles, who finished third in the 2025 AFCON, aim to regain their former dominance on the continent.

Madagascar attracted attention by reaching the quarter-finals in their first participation in 2019, while Guinea-Bissau has strengthened as a regular participant in recent tournaments. Tanzania stands out as a tough opponent with the home advantage and increased investments. The qualifiers will be played between September 2026 and March 2027 in accordance with the FIFA international match calendar. The first two matches will take place in September and October 2026, with the remaining matches completed in November 2026 and March 2027. Nigeria aims to overcome the difficulties experienced in the last World Cup qualifiers and gain early momentum under the new coach Eric Chelle.

The draw for the qualifiers was held in Cairo, Egypt, and former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong was among those attending the draw. The 2027 AFCON finals will take place from June 19 to July 17, hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, marking the first AFCON tournament jointly hosted by these three countries.