CAIRO, EGYPT – MAY 19, 2026
Nigeria national football team have been drawn in Group L of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), alongside Madagascar national football team, Guinea-Bissau national football team and co-hosts Tanzania national football team.
The draw ceremony, which took place in Cairo, paired 48 nations into 12 groups ahead of the continental tournament scheduled to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Nigeria will be aiming to secure qualification from a group considered competitive, with Tanzania expected to enjoy home support as one of the tournament’s co-hosts. The Super Eagles will also face tough opposition from Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau as the qualification race begins later this year.
Elsewhere, immediate past hosts Morocco national football team headline Group A, while Egypt national football team lead Group B. One of the standout fixtures of the qualifiers will see reigning African champions Ivory Coast national football team battle regional rivals Ghana national football team in Group C.
Other African football heavyweights, including Cameroon national football team, Tunisia national football team, Algeria national football team, Senegal national football team and Mali national football team, also learned their opponents as preparations begin for the qualification campaign.
Matchday One of the qualifiers is scheduled to kick off on September 21, 2026, across various venues on the continent.
2027 AFCON Qualification Draw
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire, 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
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
