AFCON 2027: Nigeria face familiar African rivals in 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 held in Cairo, Egypt.

The draw officially set the tone for the qualification campaign for the expanded TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Although Tanzania are one of the co-hosts of the tournament and already guaranteed a place at the finals, they will still compete in the qualifiers. This means only one additional team from Group L will join them at the tournament proper.

For Nigeria, the draw presents a familiar mix of opportunity and caution as the three-time African champions continue their pursuit of continental glory after finishing third at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

The Super Eagles, currently among the top seeds in Pot 1 alongside football powerhouses such as Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, are widely expected to advance from the group.

However, the Nigerian side will be wary of potential surprises, particularly from improving African teams who have consistently closed the gap in recent years.

Madagascar remain one of the continent’s emerging football stories after reaching the quarter-finals on their AFCON debut in 2019, while Guinea-Bissau have grown into a regular and competitive presence in recent continental tournaments.

Tanzania, buoyed by home advantage and increased investment in football ahead of their co-hosting duties, are also expected to pose a serious challenge despite already securing automatic qualification.

The qualification series will run across FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027. Matchdays one and two are scheduled for September and October 2026, while the remaining fixtures will be concluded in November 2026 and March 2027.

The draw ceremony also featured several African football legends, including former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, alongside Essam El Hadary, Max-Alain Gradel and Trésor Mputu, who assisted in the draw process.

The 2027 AFCON finals will take place from June 19 to July 17, marking the first time the tournament will be jointly hosted by three East African nations.