Super Eagles to learn about AFCON 2027 opponents as Troost‑Ekong takes on a major CAF role

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Former Super Eagles captain William Troost‑Ekong has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football as one of the official draw assistants for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw, reports Afrik‑Foot.

The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo, ahead of the qualification campaign for the continent’s premier football tournament.

Troost‑Ekong will join three other respected African football figures: former Ivory Coast winger Max‑Alain Gradel, legendary Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, and Congolese icon Trésor Mputu.

CAF confirmed that the event will be broadcast live on CAF TV and across several social media platforms as African nations prepare for the road to AFCON 2027.

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost‑Ekong

The tournament, officially titled AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It will be the first time in the competition’s history that three countries will co‑host the finals.

A total of 48 national teams, including the three hosts, will compete in the qualifiers. CAF has stated that the teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four sides each; the top two teams from every group will qualify automatically for the tournament finals.

Because Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already secured qualification places as hosts, only one additional nation will qualify from each of their respective groups.

The qualification matches are scheduled to be played during three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027. Matchdays one and two will take place between 21 and 6 October 2026, while matchdays three and four are fixed for 9 to 17 November 2026. The final round of fixtures will be played between 22 and 30 March 2027.

Super Eagles await their next AFCON mission

Three‑time African champions Nigeria will discover their opponents during Tuesday’s draw as they begin another attempt to win a fourth continental crown.

Nigeria remain one of the most consistent teams in AFCON history despite narrowly missing out on the title in recent editions. The Super Eagles finished runners‑up at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast after losing 2‑1 to the hosts in the final, with Troost‑Ekong scoring Nigeria’s goal and later being named Player of the Tournament.

At the 2025 edition in Morocco, the Super Eagles reached the semi‑finals before suffering a painful penalty shootout defeat against the hosts. They recovered quickly to defeat Egypt on penalties in the third‑place match and secure another bronze medal.

Nigeria also won bronze at AFCON 2019 in Egypt under coach Gernot Rohr after defeating Tunisia 1‑0 in the playoff game. Their only disappointing recent campaign came at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon, where they exited in the Round of 16 despite winning all three group‑stage matches.

The Super Eagles’ recent AFCON consistency has further strengthened their reputation as one of Africa’s football powerhouses. Nigeria have now reached the semi‑finals in three of the last four editions of the tournament, matching Egypt’s record of 17 all‑time AFCON semi‑final appearances.

The country’s recent AFCON campaigns have also produced major individual achievements. Former striker Odion Ighalo won the Golden Boot at AFCON 2019, while Troost‑Ekong earned the Best Player award at AFCON 2023 for his commanding performances in defence and leadership throughout the competition.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals will run from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with East Africa preparing to welcome the continent for what CAF believes will be one of the most historic editions of the tournament.