Nigeria’s Super Eagles began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar on Friday, but the result left them second in Group L behind Guinea-Bissau.
Madagascar took an early lead through Ehsan Kari in the 15th minute at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, before Nigeria fought back through debutant George Ilenikhena in first-half stoppage time.
Another debutant, Moses Usor, completed the comeback in the 65th minute to hand Eric Chelle’s side all three points in their opening qualifying fixture.
The victory puts Nigeria on three points, but Guinea-Bissau moved to the top of the group after recording a 2-0 away victory over co-hosts Tanzania earlier on Friday.
The result means Guinea-Bissau lead Group L with three points and a goal difference of plus two, while Nigeria are second with three points and a goal difference of plus one. Madagascar are third without a point and Tanzania occupy fourth after their opening defeat.
Group L standings after Matchday One
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guinea-Bissau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | Nigeria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Madagascar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | Tanzania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Guinea-Bissau’s victory over Tanzania is particularly significant for Nigeria because the West African side is one of the two teams, alongside Madagascar, competing directly with the Super Eagles for the group’s only available qualifying place.
Tanzania’s position is different. As one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda, the country has already secured automatic qualification. CAF’s regulations provide that in groups containing one of the host nations, only the highest-ranked team among the other countries qualifies through the group.
Nigeria therefore cannot afford to focus on Tanzania’s position in the table. The main battle is now between the Super Eagles, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar for the top spot among the non-host teams.
The Super Eagles will have an immediate opportunity to improve their position when they travel to face Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, September 29. Madagascar, meanwhile, will host Tanzania on the same day.
A victory for Nigeria in Guinea-Bissau would give Chelle’s side six points and put them in a strong position in the early stages of the qualification race, while another positive result for Guinea-Bissau would strengthen their position at the top.
Nigeria entered the campaign without injured striker Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out of the opening two qualifiers. The Super Eagles nevertheless secured maximum points through goals from Ilenikhena and Usor, giving Chelle a winning start to the qualifying campaign.
With six rounds of qualifying scheduled overall, Nigeria have made a winning start, but Friday’s results show that the Group L race could be decided by narrow margins, with goal difference already separating the Super Eagles from Guinea-Bissau at the top of the table.
