The Super Eagles will renew rivalries with Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau after being placed in Group L of the qualification series for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2027 edition of the competition will be staged by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between June 19 and July 17, 2027.
Tuesday’s draw ceremony was held at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, where former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong assisted with the draw process.
Forty-eight countries are set to compete in the qualifiers, with the teams divided into 12 groups. Only 24 nations will eventually qualify for the continental tournament.
Nigeria, seeded in Pot 1, were drawn against sides they have previously encountered in past AFCON qualification campaigns.
The Super Eagles enjoyed success against Madagascar during the race for the 2012 tournament, winning both meetings.
Nigeria also shared victories with Guinea-Bissau during the qualifiers for the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, losing in Abuja before bouncing back with an away triumph in Bissau.
Tanzania are another familiar opponent for Nigeria. Both countries met during the qualifiers for the 2017 AFCON, beginning with a stalemate in Dar es Salaam before Nigeria secured a narrow victory in Uyo thanks to a strike from Kelechi Iheanacho.
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Despite the win, the Super Eagles missed out on qualification for the finals in Gabon.
Nigeria also faced Tanzania at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, opening their campaign with a 2-1 victory.
However, Tanzania’s status as one of the tournament hosts changes the qualification equation in Group L.
Since the East African nation already has an automatic ticket to the finals, only the group winners will advance directly from the pool.
The same arrangement will apply in every group containing one of the co-host nations, while the top two teams from the other groups will qualify.
Elsewhere, Ivory Coast, champions of the 2023 edition, were paired with Ghana, Gambia and Somalia in Group C.
Stripped 2025 champions Senegal will battle Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J, while newly crowned Morocco were drawn alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.
The qualification schedule will run across three FIFA international windows. The opening fixtures are fixed for September and October 2026, followed by another round of matches in November 2026.
The concluding games will be played in March 2027, when the final list of teams heading to the tournament will be confirmed.