Nigeria will face Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania and Madagascar in the qualification race for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Super Eagles were drawn into Group L during the 2027 AFCON qualification draw held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s opponents are familiar rivals to the three-time African champions, having faced them in previous AFCON tournaments and qualifiers.
At the 2021 AFCON, the Super Eagles met Guinea-Bissau in the group stage. Both countries also clashed during the qualification campaign for the 2023 AFCON and later at the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria also played Tanzania at the 2025 AFCON, where the Super Eagles secured a 2-1 victory.
Against Madagascar, Nigeria recorded a 2-0 win during the group stage of the 2019 AFCON.
The Super Eagles finished third at the last AFCON tournament and were runners-up in the 2023 edition.
A total of 12 groups were drawn for the qualification series ahead of the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Elsewhere, Ghana were drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Gambia and Somalia in one of the standout groups of the qualifiers.
South Africa will battle Guinea, Kenya and Eritrea in Group D, while Morocco share Group A with Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.
Senegal were drawn against Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe recently dismissed reports suggesting the 2027 AFCON could be postponed or stripped from the East African co-hosts due to delays in preparations.
“The next (2027) AFCON is going to be in East Africa during June and July next year. I have no doubts about that, despite all the challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have jointly applied to host the 2028 AFCON tournament.
CAF also confirmed that from 2028, the AFCON competition will move from a biennial format to a four-year cycle in order to align with the global football calendar.
2027 AFCON Qualification Groups
- Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
- Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
- Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia
- Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
- Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
- Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
- Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo Brazzaville
- Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
- Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
- Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
- Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
- Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau
Matchdays
- Matchdays 1 & 2: September 21 – October 6, 2026
- Matchdays 3 & 4: November 9 – 17, 2026
- Matchdays 5 & 6: March 22 – 30, 2027
