The path to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been revealed for Nigeria, with the Super Eagles set to trade tackles with Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, and Madagascar in the qualification series.
The official draw ceremony, which took place in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, placed the three-time African champions into Group L as they begin their quest to reach the next continental showpiece.
The pairing brings up a narrative of familiar rivalries, as the Super Eagles have crossed paths with all three group opponents in recent continental outings.
Nigeria famously played Guinea-Bissau during the group stages of the 2021 AFCON, and the two sides crossed paths again in both the qualification stages and the main tournament of the 2023 AFCON held in Côte d’Ivoire.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles secured a 2-1 victory over Tanzania during their clash at the 2025 AFCON. Nigeria also holds a history with Madagascar, whom they defeated 2-0 during a group stage encounter at the 2019 tournament.
Having finished as runners-up in 2023 and claiming third place at the last AFCON edition, Nigeria enters this campaign looking to maintain its strong continental standing.
A Broader Look Across the Continental Groups
The qualification format spans a total of 12 groups, with the final tournament scheduled to be co-hosted across East Africa by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Under the tournament rules, the top two teams from the majority of the six-matchday groups will advance to the finals, with matches scheduled to take place between September and March.
However, in the three groups featuring a co-host country, only one other team alongside that host will earn a ticket to the finals.
The draw threw up several highly anticipated heavy-weight matchups.
Because Ghana was placed in the second seeding pot based on the current world rankings, the four-time winners were drawn directly into Group C alongside three-time champions Côte d’Ivoire, with Gambia and Somalia completing the group.
Interestingly, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Cape Verde are among the 10 African nations preparing for the 2026 World Cup kicking off next month across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Cape Verde, who pulled off a major shock by qualifying for the World Cup ahead of Cameroon, finds themselves in Group K for the AFCON qualifiers alongside Mali, Rwanda, and Liberia.
In Group D, South Africa will contend with Guinea, co-hosts Kenya, and Eritrea. Since Kenya qualifies automatically as a host, the remaining three nations must battle it out for the single remaining ticket from that group. Group A features Morocco, Gabon, Niger, and Lesotho, while Group J places Senegal against Mozambique, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Continental Controversy and Historic Adjustments
The Group J pairing adds flavor to the qualifying landscape following the dramatic conclusion of the 2025 tournament.
Morocco lost a highly contentious 2025 final to Senegal in Rabat, but was subsequently declared the winner after launching an appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The dispute arose when numerous Senegalese players walked off the pitch after Morocco was awarded a penalty in stoppage time.
Though Senegal eventually returned to the field, Brahim Diaz missed the spot-kick, and Pape Gueye went on to score an extra-time winner for Senegal. In response to being stripped of the trophy by CAF, Senegal has escalated the matter by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, where a final verdict is currently pending.
READ MORE: Trossard strike sends Arsenal five clear in title charge
Amid administrative discussions, CAF President Patrice Motsepe has firmly dismissed any rumors regarding potential preparation delays impacting the tournament schedule.
“The next (2027) AFCON is going to be in East Africa during June and July next year. I have no doubts about that, despite all the challenges,” he assured reporters recently.
Looking even further ahead, the landscape of African football is preparing for structural shifts.
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe have put forward a joint bid to host the 2028 AFCON, which would mark the first time the tournament is held across four nations. South Africa previously stepped in to host the event in 1996 and 2013 after original hosts Kenya and Libya withdrew due to preparation delays and security concerns, respectively.
Crucially, the 2028 edition will mark the official transition of the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial competition to a quadrennial event, a change implemented to seamlessly align the tournament with the global football calendar.
Full AFCON 2027 Qualification Groups
Group A
Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B
Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia
Group D
South Africa, Guinea, Kenya (co-host), Eritrea
Group E
Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
Group F
Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
Group G
Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo Brazzaville
Group H
Tunisia, Uganda (co-host), 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 (co-host), Guinea-Bissau
Qualification Schedule Window
Matchdays 1 and 2: September 21 – October 6
Matchdays 3 and 4: November 9 – 17
Matchdays 5 and 6: March 22 – 30, 2027
