Nigeria’s senior national team will discover their opponents for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on May 19, 2026.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw ceremony for the qualification series will take place on that date ahead of the campaign.
A total of 48 nations, including co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will compete for places at the tournament, officially tagged AFCON PAMOJA 2027.
Under the qualification format, the teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the finals.
The qualifiers will be played during various FIFA international windows, with the opening matches scheduled for September and October 2026.
A second round of fixtures will follow in November 2026, while the final phase of qualifying will be held in March 2027.
Three-time African champions Nigeria will be targeting qualification as they look to compete for another continental crown.
They earned podium finishes at the last two AFCONs in Cote d’Ivoire (silver medal) and Morocco (bronze medal), respectively.
Their AFCON titles came on home soil in 1980, Tunisia (1994), and South Africa (2013).
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
