The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn against Madagascar, Tanzania, and Guinea-Bissau in Group L of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, following the draw conducted at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo on Tuesday.

Coached by Éric Chelle, Nigeria entered the draw as one of the seeded teams and were handed what is widely considered a manageable path to the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027.

Former Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong was among the draw assistants on the day, alongside other African football legends including Essam El Hadary and Max-Alain Gradel.

Nigeria’s path to qualification, however, carries a significant complication. Tanzania, one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda, have already secured automatic qualification for the finals. Their presence in Group L means that only one additional team from the group will earn a place at the tournament, effectively turning the campaign into a straight fight between Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau for a single qualifying spot. In all other groups not containing a co-host nation, the top two teams advance to the finals.

The Super Eagles carry mixed history against each of their group opponents. Nigeria defeated Tanzania 2-1 in their opening group match at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, a result that will provide some confidence heading into the qualifying encounters. Against Guinea-Bissau, however, the record is more complicated.

Guinea-Bissau pulled off a famous 1-0 victory against Nigeria at the 2023 AFCON qualifiers in Abuja, though Nigeria levelled the tie with a 1-0 win in the second leg, and also beat the same opponents 1-0 when the two teams met at the tournament proper. Madagascar, meanwhile, remain the team with the most embarrassing result against Nigeria in this company, having handed the Super Eagles a 2-0 defeat in the group stage of the 2019 tournament in Egypt a result that still stings among Nigerian football followers.

The qualification campaign will be played across three FIFA international windows between the second half of 2026 and early 2027. The opening two matchdays are scheduled between 21 September and 6 October 2026, with the third and fourth matchdays set for 9 to 17 November 2026. The final two rounds of fixtures will be played between 22 and 30 March 2027, by which time the full 24-team lineup for the finals will be complete.

The tournament itself is scheduled to run from 19 June to 17 July 2027, marking the first time the Africa Cup of Nations has been held in East Africa in over half a century.

For Nigeria, the draw arrives as Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles look to rediscover their best form on the continental stage after finishing third at the 2025 AFCON, as well as having narrowly missed out on a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. With only one qualifying spot available from Group L, there is no room for the kind of inconsistency that has occasionally plagued recent Nigerian campaigns, and Chelle’s side will be expected to begin the qualification series with maximum urgency from the opening matchday in September.