Nigeria’s Super Eagles will launch their bid to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with a home clash against Madagascar on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as the venue for the opening Group L encounter.
Four days later, Nigeria will be on the road for their second qualifying match, travelling to Morocco to face Guinea-Bissau on Sunday, September 27.
The fixtures were announced in a schedule released on Tuesday through the official Super Eagles X account.
Nigeria is in Group L with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, one of the three countries selected to host the 2027 AFCON.
The 2027 continental tournament will be staged jointly by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The Super Eagles will be eager to secure their place at the tournament after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AFCON qualifying series will be conducted on a home-and-away basis, with each participating nation scheduled to play six group matches.
Ordinarily, the top two teams in each qualifying group will advance to the AFCON finals. However, Group L operates under a different arrangement because Tanzania has already secured an automatic place as a co-host.
Consequently, only the best-performing team apart from Tanzania in Group L will earn a ticket to the 2027 AFCON finals.
Nigeria will therefore need a strong start in Uyo and consistent performances throughout the qualifying campaign to secure its return to Africa’s biggest football tournament.
