Nigeria Secures Spot in Tough AFCON 2027 Group, Avoiding Ghana’s Black Stars

Nigeria’s quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations has been set against a challenging Group L after the Super Eagles were drawn with Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea‑Bissau in the Tuesday qualifying draw held in Cairo, according to Afrik‑Foot.

The draw kept the Super Eagles away from long‑time rivals Ghana, as the two West African powerhouses were placed in separate seeding pots before the ceremony. This meant an early “Jollof Derby” clash between the Super Eagles and the Black Stars was avoided.

Ghana, meanwhile, were drawn into Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia and Somalia, while Nigeria’s path has quickly emerged as one of the toughest among the top seeds.

Ola Aina, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman. Photo by: ImagoxVictor Ihechi

The biggest complication for the Super Eagles is the presence of Tanzania, one of the three co‑hosts of the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda. Tanzania will still participate in qualifying even though it already holds an automatic place in the finals, meaning only one additional team from Group L can qualify.

Eric Chelle’s side cannot afford to drift through the campaign hoping a second‑place finish will be sufficient. Every point against Madagascar and Guinea‑Bissau could decide whether the Super Eagles reach the tournament.

The group also carries uncomfortable memories for Nigeria. Madagascar shocked the Super Eagles 2‑0 during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, while Guinea‑Bissau famously beat Nigeria 1‑0 in Abuja during the 2023 qualifying campaign before the Super Eagles recovered in the return fixture. Tanzania also pushed Nigeria hard during the 2025 AFCON group stage in Morocco before Ademola Lookman’s winner secured a narrow 2‑1 victory.

Familiar dangers await Super Eagles

Despite the tricky draw, Nigeria enter the qualifiers with one of the strongest records in African football. The Super Eagles have qualified for each of the last four AFCON tournaments and have regularly finished top of their groups.

Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi for Super Eagles. Copyright: Imagoxshengolpixsx

During the 2025 qualifying series, Nigeria secured qualification with two matches remaining in a section containing Benin Republic, Rwanda and Libya. In the 2023 campaign, the Super Eagles collected 15 points from six games and recorded a historic 10‑0 victory over São Tomé and Príncipe, the biggest win in AFCON qualifying history.

Nigeria also went unbeaten during the 2021 qualifiers and recovered from an opening defeat to South Africa to top their 2019 qualifying group.

The new campaign will begin across three international windows. Matchdays one and two are scheduled between September 21 and October 6, 2026, while matchdays three and four will take place from November 9 to 17. The final two rounds are fixed for March 22 to 30, 2027.