Nigeria land in tricky AFCONQ 2027 group as Super Eagles avoid Ghana’s Black Stars

Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will run through a difficult Group L after the Super Eagles were drawn against Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in Tuesday’s qualifying draw in Cairo, Afrik-Foot reports.

The draw kept Nigeria away from long-time rivals Ghana after the two West African giants were placed in separate seeding pots before the ceremony. That decision prevented an early ‘Jollof Derby’ clash between the Super Eagles and the Black Stars.

While Ghana were placed in Group C alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia and Somalia, Nigeria’s path quickly emerged as one of the trickiest among the top seeds.

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 despite already holding an automatic ticket to the finals. That situation means only one additional team from Group L can qualify.

Eric Chelle’s side cannot afford to drift through the campaign hoping second place will be enough. 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.

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.