NIGERIA TO FACE MAURITANIA OR DR CONGO IN U-23 AFCON 2027 QUALIFIERS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Nigeria’s U-23 side will face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the official draw at its headquarters on Tuesday and subsequently published the pairings on its X handle.
The first round features 14 two-legged ties, with the first legs scheduled for September 28, 2026, and the return legs billed for October 6.
The first-round fixtures are:
* Sierra Leone vs Burkina Faso
* Mauritania vs DR Congo
* São Tomé and Príncipe vs Equatorial Guinea
* Togo vs Libya
* Tunisia vs Benin
* Kenya vs Tanzania
* Djibouti vs South Sudan
* Ethiopia vs Uganda
* Rwanda vs Sudan
* Comoros vs Madagascar
* Angola vs Namibia
* Seychelles vs Botswana
* Malawi vs Eswatini
* Zimbabwe vs Mauritius
The winners will advance to the second round, where they will meet higher-ranked or seeded teams.
Nigeria’s second-round fixture is against the winner of the Mauritania and DR Congo tie.
Other second-round pairings include the winner of Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso against Zambia, São Tomé and Príncipe or Equatorial Guinea against Niger, and Togo or Libya against Ghana.
Tunisia or Benin will face Gabon, while the winner between Kenya and Tanzania will meet Côte d’Ivoire.
The winner of Djibouti and South Sudan will face Senegal, while Ethiopia or Uganda will take on Morocco.
Rwanda or Sudan will meet Cameroon, Comoros or Madagascar will face South Africa, and Angola or Namibia will play Congo.
The remaining pairings are Seychelles or Botswana against Guinea, Malawi or Eswatini against Algeria, and Zimbabwe or Mauritius against Mali.
Second-round first legs are scheduled for November 9, 2026, with the return legs to be played on November 17.
A total of 42 nations are competing for the seven remaining places at the 2027 U-23 AFCON finals in Egypt.
The tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualification pathway to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Egypt have already secured their place at the finals automatically as hosts.
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