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Nigeria’s Super Eagles open their road to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania 2027 today, and the mood in Uyo is clear: win, and win well. Madagascar, the side that stunned the three-time champions seven years ago, are in town to spoil it.
Eric Chelle’s men host the Barea at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. They want maximum points and a chance to win back fans still frustrated by missing back-to-back World Cup finals.
The Eagles skipped the expanded 48-team World Cup after also missing 2022. They have kept up on the continent, though. They have reached the semi-finals of the last two AFCONs, qualifying with little fuss, and lost the 2023 final before being eliminated by hosts Morocco in the last edition. That has not brought a fourth continental crown, but reaching next year’s finals is the minimum expectation.
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There is little room for error. Two African nations usually progress from each group, but co-host Tanzania’s presence in Group L leaves only one ticket available. Supporters will also remember how the Eagles faded before AFCON 2025, drawing with Benin and then losing to Rwanda in Uyo.
Madagascar arrived with a memory of their own. As debutants at AFCON 2019, they beat a Gernot Rohr-coached Nigeria 2-0 on their way to the quarter-finals. They have struggled since, winning just two of 18 AFCON qualifiers. Coach Corentin Martins has not secured maximum points in qualifying for either the 2023 or 2025 finals, and he hopes to exploit the hosts’ impatience to end his side’s winless run in this series.
