NIGERIA and Madagascar will kick off their qualifying campaigns for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
News Point Nigeria Sport gathered that while the Super Eagles reached the semifinals of the last two AFCON tournaments, they have failed to qualify for successive World Cups, and coach Eric Chelle will be extra eager to start the qualification campaign with a win, with his side expected to be strong favourites.
Meanwhile, Madagascar, whose national team are nicknamed Barea, will attempt to emulate their last shock win over the Super Eagles — a 2-0 victory at AFCON 2019. The Madagascans were making their AFCON debut that year and reached the quarterfinals but have not reached another tournament since.
Chelle has called on his Super Eagles side to impose themselves from the whistle as he demands a winning start to the qualification campaign.
“We have to show everyone from day one that we want it, and the only way to do that is to go for it with our hearts, and refuse to slow down at any point,” Chelle told reporters before the game.
“We must go for the points without any hesitation.”
After hosting Madagascar, Nigeria will fly to Guinea-Bissau for their next qualifying game on Tuesday, September 29.
Madagascar have withdrawn an invitation to former France Under-21 goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher to debut for them in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after past comments he made about playing for the island nation resurfaced and caused outrage.
Boucher hails from the nearby French island of Reunion, but also has Malagasy heritage, and after starting his career at Le Havre and playing for Toulouse, AJ Auxerre and Bastia, was a back-up goalkeeper for Troyes last season as they won promotion to Ligue 1.
In 2018, when Madagascar first qualified for the Cup of Nations, it was speculated he would be persuaded to play for them, although he had played for France at age-group level.
But when he was asked about it by the newspaper Ouest-France, he said: “I am French, I have never been Malagasy. I don’t know how this came out like this. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to it. You only have to look at my passport. It says ‘French’.
“If the coach calls me up, the answer is ‘no’. What’s more, administratively speaking, I can’t even do it. I am not Malagasy. The French national team shirt is important to me. I will not wear any shirt other than that one. I am French, proud to be French, and I have no intention of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for anyone.”
The Boucher situation has since developed: CAF’s published squad list on September 17 included him among Madagascar’s first-time call-ups, while subsequent reports said he was dropped following the resurfacing of his earlier comments.
The countries have faced each other on five occasions, with Nigeria winning three of the games, Madagascar winning one, and one ending as a draw.
Barea failed to score in their first four games against the Super Eagles; drawing 0-0 with Nigeria in 2000, losing 1-0 in Benin City in 2001, and then suffering 2-0 defeats in Calabar in 2010 and at home in 2011.
But Madagascar won the last game they contested 2-0 in 2019.
Madagascar pulled off one of the great shocks of the Africa Cup of Nations finals when they upset Nigeria 2-0 in 2019 to finish top of Group B and advance to the knockout stages.
A horrific defensive mistake and a wicked deflection from a free kick allowed the Indian Ocean islanders, making their tournament debut, to finish unbeaten ahead of both Nigeria and Guinea in the standings.
Lalaina Nomenjanahary took advantage of sloppy defending by Leon Balogun to open the scoring in the 13th minute, and Carolus Andriamahitsinoro netted the second eight minutes into the second half.
Nomenjanahary reacted quickly to intercept a pass backwards from John Ogu to Balogun, who inexplicably backed away from the ball on the edge of the Nigeria penalty box, almost inviting the Malagasy striker to steal it away.
Nigeria brought on Wilfred Ndidi to try to inspire a second-half comeback, but he was culpable for the second goal.
First, he gave away a free kick on the edge of the area and then, as he jumped in the wall, deflected the 53rd-minute effort from Andriamahitsinoro. The ball took a wicked loop off Ndidi’s body before falling into the net.
The 36th edition of AFCON will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, bringing the tournament back to East Africa after five decades.
The tournament will run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, at 10 venues across the countries.
The six rounds of AFCON 2027 qualifying will be held across the designated FIFA international windows.
Nigeria are in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania. Because Tanzania are one of the co-hosts and are already qualified for the finals, only the highest-placed team other than Tanzania will qualify from the group.
The Super Eagles host Madagascar on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Guinea-Bissau for the second qualifying fixture on Tuesday, September 29.
The Super Eagles’ star striker Victor Osimhen is unavailable due to a muscle injury, so Coventry’s Taiwo Awoniyi has been recalled to the squad. Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams are likely to start up front.
Osimhen was ruled out of both September qualifiers after failing to recover from the muscle problem he suffered while playing for Galatasaray. The Nigeria Football Federation subsequently confirmed that Awoniyi would replace him.
Left-back Zaidu Sanusi is also out injured, so Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina may start in his place.