CAIRO, Egypt – Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been drawn into Group L for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification series, setting up a competitive pathway against familiar continental opponents.
Okay News reports that the official qualification draw was conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Cairo. The three-time African champions will battle Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, and Tanzania—who also serve as one of the tournament’s three East African co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
The draw presents a highly manageable route for the Super Eagles, who finished as runners-up in 2023 and clinched a third-place finish at the 2025 AFCON. Nigeria shares an extensive recent history with their group mates, having repeatedly clashed with Guinea-Bissau during the 2021 and 2023 tournament cycles. They also secured a 2-1 victory over Tanzania at the 2025 finals and previously defeated Madagascar 2-0 during the 2019 group stages. Because Tanzania qualifies automatically as a host nation, Group L features an intense twist: only one other team from the group will secure a ticket to the main tournament, heavily raising the stakes for the Super Eagles to lock down the top spot.
The wider draw threw up several mouthwatering heavyweight clashes across the continent. Group C features an explosive West African Derby, pitting four-time winners Ghana against three-time champions Côte d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, Cape Verde—who pulled off a historic World Cup qualification shock at the expense of Cameroon ahead of next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America—headline Group K alongside Mali, Rwanda, and Liberia.
The qualification campaign unfolds against a backdrop of intense administrative drama following a chaotic 2025 tournament. Defending champions Senegal are currently awaiting a crucial verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland after appealing a CAF decision that stripped them of the 2025 title and awarded it to Morocco due to a pitch walkout dispute. Amid rumors of infrastructural delays, CAF President Patrice Motsepe firmly reassured global media that the 2027 finals remain securely on track for June and July 2027. Looking further ahead, CAF confirmed that the tournament will shift to a quadrennial (four-year) cycle starting in 2028 to align with the global FIFA calendar, with a joint bid from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe leading the race to host that historic edition. The road to East Africa officially kicks off with Matchdays 1 and 2 scheduled between September 21 and October 6, 2026.
