The hurdle standing between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is now known, after Tuesday’s qualifying draw in Cairo paired Eric Chelle’s side with Tanzania, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau in Group L.

Tanzania, one of three nations hosting the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda, holds an automatic berth regardless of how the qualifying campaign goes, meaning only one other team from the group can qualify. 

That leaves Nigeria in a straight battle with Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau for the only available spot in the group. Meanwhile, the last time Nigeria faced Madagascar, the Bareā famously stunned the Super Eagles 2-0 during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, while Guinea-Bissau secured a shock victory in Abuja during the qualification series for the 2023 tournament before Nigeria responded in the reverse fixture. Tanzania, meanwhile, gave the Super Eagles a difficult outing during their recent AFCON meeting before Nigeria edged past them 2-1.

Despite Group L’s trickiness, Nigeria is still the team to beat, in light of their strong recent AFCON qualifying record. The Super Eagles have reached each of the last four editions and have regularly topped their groups, including a dominant qualifying run for the 2025 tournament, where they sealed passage with matches to spare.

The qualification campaign for AFCON 2027 will begin in September 2026, with the remaining fixtures spread across November 2026 and March 2027. The tournament itself is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, in East Africa.

However, before preparation for the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign gets underway, the Super Eagles have a more immediate assignment to prepare for: the 2026 Unity Cup, a friendly tournament they will attend while much of the football world is consumed by the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Super Eagles missed out on the World Cup for a second consecutive time, and their focus will be on rebuilding momentum through competition. The squad list for the Unity Cup is expected to be announced within the coming days.