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AFCON 2027

Super Eagles open AFCON qualifying against Madagascar in Uyo

Eric Chelle names his squad this week for a 23 September home date, then a trip to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.

Tolu Adebayo

Football Correspondent · Uyo

5 min read

Floodlights over a large Nigerian football stadium at twilight
Floodlights over a large Nigerian football stadium at twilight · Aso Rock News

Nigeria will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar on 23 September at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau on 27 September.

Head coach Eric Chelle is expected to name his squad in the coming days. Brentford defender Benjamin Fredrick is among those returning after injury. Ola Aina, who missed the last AFCON, is also in the conversation. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is back in the mix alongside Maduka Okoye and Arthur Okonkwo.

The disappointment of missing the 2026 World Cup still sits over the camp. Sani Kaita, speaking at the weekend, said the only proper response is to qualify for the 2027 tournament without drama. Chelle, whose contract terms the NFF recently improved, has a simpler brief: win the home game, don’t drop points on the road.

Uyo is a good place to start. The bowl is loud when it is full, and Madagascar, for all their organisation, have rarely enjoyed a night in the South-South. The second match, in Morocco against Guinea-Bissau, is the one that will tell us whether this side has learned to travel.

Missing the World Cup was the wound. Qualifying for Morocco 2027 is the first chance to stop picking at it.

Missing the World Cup was the wound. Qualifying for Morocco 2027 is the first chance to stop picking at it.

About this reporting

Filed from Uyo by Tolu Adebayo, Football Correspondent. Aso Rock News is an independent newsroom. Send tips to the desk from the contact page.

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