NIGERIA/MADAGASCAR: AFCON 2027 QUALIFIERS - SUPER EAGLES TO FACE MADAGASCAR, TANZANIA, G-BISSAU

Nigeria's quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations received a major boost yesterday after the Super Eagles were drawn against familiar foes Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in the qualifying series for the continental tournament.

The draw ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo, Egypt, where the continent's national teams discovered their opponents for the qualification campaign.

The Nigeria national football team, now under the guidance of head coach Éric Chelle, were placed among the seeded teams for the draw following their strong standing in African football rankings. Their seeded status ensured they avoided several of the continent's traditional heavyweights in the preliminary phase.

On paper, the group appears favourable for the three-time African champions, with many Nigerian football observers expecting the Super Eagles to secure qualification without major difficulty. However, the draw also presents potentially tricky encounters against opponents capable of causing surprises.

Guinea-Bissau, in particular, has become a familiar foe for Nigeria in recent years. The West Africans have faced the Super Eagles in previous AFCON qualifying campaigns and earned a reputation as a disciplined and difficult side to break down.

Tanzania, one of the co-hosts of the 2027 tournament, will also be eager to impress despite already being assured of participation in the finals as hosts. Their growing football profile and home support could make them dangerous opponents during the qualifiers.

Madagascar, meanwhile, remain one of African football's unpredictable sides. The island nation stunned the continent during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt when they reached the quarter-finals in their maiden appearance at the tournament, defeating more fancied teams along the way.

Only the top two teams from the group will qualify automatically for the 2027 AFCON finals, increasing the importance of every fixture in the round-robin campaign.

The qualification series will be played across three FIFA international windows. Matchdays one and two are scheduled to hold between September 21 and October 6, 2026, while matchdays three and four will take place from November 9 to 17, 2026.

The final round of fixtures, comprising matchdays five and six, will be played between March 22 and 30, 2027, bringing the qualification race to a close.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations itself will make history as the first edition of the tournament to be jointly hosted by three countries -- Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The tournament is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

For Nigeria, the objective remains clear: qualify convincingly and mount a serious challenge for a fourth AFCON title after falling short in recent editions. With a squad packed with established internationals and emerging talents, expectations will be high for the Super Eagles to dominate the group and head to East Africa as one of the favourites for the continental crown.

- Affa Acho

VICTOR WANYAMA EXPLAINS HOW BENNI MCCARTHY CAN LEAD HARAMBEE STARS TO AFCON 2027 GLORY

Victor Wanyama feels Harambee Stars can surprise at AFCON 2027.

Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama is backing Kenya to surprise at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations due to a number of factors.

Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has shared what gives him confidence of a successful 2027 Africa Cup of Nations for Kenya.

Kenya will be one of the co-hosts for AFCON 2027 alongside neighbours Kenya and Uganda and there is pressure to impress on home soil.

However, history suggests it might be a struggle to get out of their group given they have never gone past that level at all their previous six AFCON appearances.

Wanyama, however, feels Kenya do have enough quality and can spring a surprise when heavily motivated and pushed on by fans as seen during the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024).

What is Wanyama Banking on For AFCON Success?

“We hosted CHAN, and nobody expected the local players to perform the way they did. That showed that with fans behind them at home, anything is possible,” Wanyama said on the Obi One Podcast.

“I believe in the boys; they have quality, and with proper training and preparation, they can beat any team on home soil.

The former Southampton and Tottenham midfielder is calling on early and proper preparation for the national team ahead of the continental tournament if Kenya have to post positive results.

“With good preparation and the same spirit they showed during CHAN, coupled with the support they received then, we have the potential to be the best,” he further said.

CHAN Experience Will Be Vital For Kenya

“We need to invest in infrastructure, give young players opportunities, focus on grassroots football, establish strong and well-structured youth leagues, and support academies. That is how we can develop many quality players.”

Kenya had an impressive run at CHAN 2024, when they finished top of a group that had Morocco, eventual winners of the competition, DR Congo, Angola and Zambia, making it to the quarter-final where they lost to Madagascar on post-match penalties.

Identical 1-0 wins against DR Congo, Morocco and Zambia, coupled with a 1-1 draw with Angola saw Benni McCarthy’s team finish top of a ‘Group of Death’ that few gave them a chance of getting out of.

- Joel Omotto 

ARUSHA STADIUM NAMED AFTER SAMIA SULUHU TO HOST AFCON 2027 MATCHES

The Tanzanian government has affirmed that the Arusha Stadium will be completed in time for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football games, which will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

This was revealed recently by the Tanzania Minister of Culture, Arts, and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro, in an interview with The Citizen.

Ndumbaro stated that the initial phase of the stadium’s construction has reached five percent, which includes site preparation, procurement, and the construction of contractor offices.

He expressed satisfaction with the speed and capability of the contractor carrying out the work and believes they will meet the target.

“The pace of progress is impressive, and we are confident that the contractor will meet the deadline, allowing Tanzania to make history with this achievement,” stated Ndumbaro.

The stadium is being built in the Olomoti area, and the government will spend not less than Tsh286 billion (Sh13.5bn).

The stadium, which will be named after President Samia Suluhu Hassan, will also include accommodation facilities.

Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda will jointly host the 36th edition of the biennial African football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in June and July 2027, while Morocco will host the 2025 edition.

“We believe the contractor, who was selected after a rigorous process, will meet our expectations,” he added, noting that the stadium is expected to be completed in 22 months.

“We need a quality stadium that will be built on time and meet the expectations of Tanzanians. We want a modern stadium,” Ndumbaro emphasized.

Tanzania plans to host AFCON matches at the Benjamin William Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, and the planned Arusha Stadium.

The new Arusha-based stadium will have a capacity of 30,000 seats and will be the most modern in East Africa.

In addition to domestic and international matches, the stadium will also host various activities, such as athletics and trade events, and will significantly boost tourism in the country.

The stadium will be built by the China Railway Construction Engineering Group Limited (CRCEG), whose officials have promised to build a modern facility.

The Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania bid received the nod from the CAF executive committee last year, bringing the biennial tournament back to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the 1976 finals

- The Citizen