AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Nigeria’s group, fixtures and qualification route explained

Nigeria have their route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2027) mapped out after Eric Chelle named his 24-man Super Eagles squad for the opening two qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, Afrik-Foot reports.

Chelle’s team will start the campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later. CAF has placed Nigeria in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-hosts Tanzania.

The unusual presence of Tanzania changes the qualification equation. The Taifa Stars are already guaranteed a place at the finals because Tanzania is one of the three hosts, alongside Kenya and Uganda. CAF has therefore allocated only one additional qualifying place to the other teams in Group L.

The 2027 AFCON will run from June 19 to July 17 across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with 24 teams scheduled to compete in the finals.

AFCON 2027: Nigeria’s Group L opponents

During the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, Nigeria will face Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau across six home and away matches.

Madagascar will provide the first test on September 25. The Barea missed the 2025 AFCON finals, but their recent progress has attracted attention after reaching their first-ever CHAN final in 2025 before losing 3-2 to Morocco in Nairobi.

Their current squad also contains players with fresh tournament experience, with coach Corentin Martins calling up goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher and striker Roman Ferber for the opening two qualifiers.

Guinea-Bissau have also built significant AFCON experience despite failing to qualify for the 2025 finals. They have previously reached the tournament four times, starting with their debut in 2017, while their 2025 qualification campaign ended after Mozambique beat them 2-1 in Bissau in 2024.

Tanzania are the unusual team in the group because their results cannot take away their guaranteed place at the finals.

The Taifa Stars qualified for AFCON 2025 and reached the knockout stage after finishing among the best third-placed teams in Morocco. Nigeria defeated Tanzania 2-1 in their opening game of that tournament on December 23, 2025.

AFCON 2027: Why Group L has only one qualifying place

CAF’s normal rule is that the top two teams in each four-team group qualify.

Groups containing a host nation use a different arrangement because the host already has a guaranteed place. Kenya are in Group D, Uganda are in Group H and Tanzania are in Group L. CAF confirmed that the highest-ranked team outside each host country will qualify from those groups.

That means Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau are effectively competing for one ticket.

If Tanzania finish first and Nigeria finish second, Nigeria would still qualify because they would be the highest-ranked non-host team.

If Tanzania finish below Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, the highest-ranked of those three non-host teams would still take the available qualifying place.

The clear target for Chelle’s side is therefore to finish above Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the final Group L standings.

AFCON 2027 qualifiers: How many matches will Nigeria play?

Nigeria will play six Group L matches, with every opponent faced twice.

The home and away format gives each team three home matches and three away matches across six matchdays. A win is worth three points, a draw one point and a defeat zero points, giving Nigeria a maximum of 18 points.

CAF has divided the campaign into three international windows.

Matchdays 1 and 2 will be played between September 24 and October 6, 2026. Matchdays 3 and 4 will take place between November 9 and 17, while the final two rounds are scheduled for March 22 to 30, 2027.

Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 fixtures

September 25, 2026

Nigeria vs Madagascar
Group L, Matchday 1
Kick-off: 16:00 GMT, 5:00pm Nigerian time.

September 29, 2026

Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria
Group L, Matchday 2
Kick-off: 16:00 GMT, 5:00pm Nigerian time.

Nigeria’s remaining four fixtures will be played during the November 2026 and March 2027 FIFA windows.

What happens if teams finish level on points?

CAF’s AFCON 2027 regulations award three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat.

If two teams finish level, CAF’s published regulations first examine points gained in the matches between the teams concerned, followed by goal difference in those meetings and away goals scored in the direct encounters.

If they are still level, the regulations move to overall group goal difference, total goals scored and, if necessary, a drawing of lots. When more than two teams are tied, CAF applies a sequence involving results and goal difference among the teams concerned before moving to overall group figures.

Nigeria therefore cannot focus only on points. Results in the direct meetings and goals across the group can affect the final ranking.

Nigeria’s route to AFCON 2027

Chelle has selected a 24-man squad for Nigeria’s opening two competitive fixtures, with captain Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze among the established names. Arthur Okonkwo, Isaac James and George Ilenikhena have received their first senior Super Eagles call-ups.

Star forward Victor Osimhen was initially included in the Super Eagles roster but the Galatasaray striker has been forced to withdraw due to injury.

The squad is therefore the starting group for a six-match campaign that will stretch from September 2026 into March 2027.

Nigeria will also face Russia in a friendly on October 6, but a predominantly youthful squad is expected to feature in that non-competitive game.

The Super Eagles finished in third place at the 2025 AFCON. Chelle and his boys will want the chance to return to the tournament and target a fourth continental trophy for Nigeria.