Sports
Super Eagles draw Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau in AFCON 2027 qualifiers Group L
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been drawn against Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in Group L of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo, Egypt.
The draw officially signals the beginning of the qualification race for the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Tanzania, one of the co-hosts already guaranteed automatic qualification to the finals, will still participate in the qualifying series, meaning only one additional team from Group L will join them at the tournament proper.
For Nigeria, the draw presents a manageable but competitive path as the three-time African champions continue their bid to reclaim continental dominance after finishing third at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
The Super Eagles were seeded in Pot 1 alongside heavyweights such as Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire.
On paper, Nigeria remain favourites to top the group, but African football’s growing competitiveness ensures no opponent can be taken lightly.
Madagascar, who impressed with a quarter-final finish on their AFCON debut in 2019, are regarded as one of the rising forces on the continent. Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, have become regular participants in recent tournaments and are known for their disciplined, physical style of play.
Tanzania, boosted by home advantage and increased investment ahead of co-hosting AFCON 2027, are also expected to pose a strong challenge despite already qualifying automatically.
The qualification fixtures will run across FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027, with matchdays one and two scheduled for September and October 2026, while the remaining rounds will be completed in November 2026 and March 2027.
The draw ceremony also featured African football legends, including former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong, alongside Essam El Hadary, Max-Alain Gradel and Trésor Mputu.
The AFCON 2027 finals will take place from June 19 to July 17 across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
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