AFCON
SUPER EAGLES ARE 180 MINUTES AWAY FROM AFCON QUALIFICATION
They have become used to this trend of things under Franco-German trainer, Gernot Rohr in his four years and four months so far: earning tickets to major tournaments with matches to spare.
And that is what the Super Eagles aim to continue in this international fixtures-corridor when they confront the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in a back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches in Benin and Freetown over the next few days.
By lunch time on Wednesday, all 23 invited players had arrived at the Eagles’ Eterno Hotel and Suites.
Gernot Rohr, who superintended Nigeria’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals with a match to spare from a hard-as-nails pool that included Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia, and also led the Eagles to earn a 2019 AFCON ticket ahead of the final day of the qualifiers, said on Wednesday that he is expecting his wards to conform to style and taste.
“We do not in any way under-rate the Sierra Leoneans that we play over two legs within these four days, but we have our focus and objective for the matches.
“We want to win both games so we can have the ticket and be able to be little more relaxed for the final games. You know that next year, we also have the World Cup qualifiers to focus on. It is better to get the AFCON job behind us now.
“I am excited by the spirit of the players and their sense of dedication and commitment. We have not played a competitive match in a year, but they look very ready and good to go. Our mission is the six points in these two matches.”
With the maximum six points from their first two matches of the campaign, three ahead of second-placed Benin Republic who square up to Lesotho, the Eagles will be sure of a spot in the Draw for the finals in Cameroon if they earn all the points at stake against the Leone Stars.
A year ago, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, the Eagles survived a scare as the Squirrels from Benin Republic scored to take the lead inside five minutes of kick off. Victor Osimhen levelled from the spot just before half time and winger Samuel Kalu slotted in the winner off a solo effort in the second period.
Days later, the Eagles again fell behind against Lesotho’s Crocodiles in Maseru, before goals by Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, and a brace by Osimhen put daylight between the Eagles and their hosts.
Captain Ahmed Musa and his deputy, William Ekong sang similar tunes as Coach Rohr in previewing the two encounters with the Leone Stars, saying the players are hungry for victory in both games as they want to assure an early spot in Cameroon.
Super Eagles’ players and officials undertook the mandatory COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, with the results expected on Thursday.
Kenyan official Peter Waweru Kamaku will be the referee, with his compatriots Gilbert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (assistant referee 1), Tony Mudanyi Kidiya (assistant referee 2) and Anthony Juma Ogwayo (fourth official) also on duty. Solomon Gebreselassie Abebe from Ethiopia will be match commissioner while Attama Ibrahim Boureima from Niger Republic will be referee assessor.
After Friday’s encounter, the Super Eagles will fly to Freetown on Monday for Tuesday’s clash with the Leone Stars at the Siaka Stevens Stadium.
Eritrea marked their long-awaited return to continental football with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their preliminary round clash in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday.
Playing in Meknes, Morocco, the Eritreans secured a late win to take a strong advantage into the return leg next week.
After a closely contested encounter, Eritrea broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through Siem Eyob-Abraha, whose corner kick evaded everyone in the box and went straight into the net.
The victory was sealed deep into stoppage time when talisman Ali Suleiman produced a moment of brilliance. The forward embarked on a dazzling run down the left before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to double Eritrea’s lead.
Despite their win, Eritrea could have extended their advantage earlier, but Suleiman missed from the penalty spot after Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya dived low to his right to make a crucial save.
The match marked Eritrea’s first appearance in AFCON qualification in nearly two decades, with their last outing coming against Eswatini in 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.
The two sides will meet again in Eswatini for the second leg on Tuesday, where Eritrea will aim to protect their lead and advance to the next stage.
The winner of the tie will progress from the preliminary round to join 42 other teams in the group phase of qualification.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years.
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The journey to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins this week as 12 nations battle for six available spots in the preliminary round of qualifiers.
The opening phase of the race for AFCON PAMOJA 2027, set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will see the continent’s lowest-ranked teams, based on FIFA rankings at the time of the draw, compete over two legs for a place in the group stage qualifiers.
Race for Six Places
Following the success of the 2025 tournament in Morocco, a new qualification cycle gets underway with fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
The preliminary round promises closely contested encounters, with teams aiming to gain an early advantage before decisive return legs.
Among the standout fixtures:
- Eritrea face Eswatini in Meknes before the return leg in Lobamba
- Lesotho and Seychelles meet twice in Bloemfontein
- Djibouti and South Sudan clash in back-to-back matches in Juba
- Somalia take on Mauritius across two legs in Mozambique and Saint Pierre
- Chad battle Burundi between N’Djamena and Bujumbura
- São Tomé and Príncipe face Ethiopia, with matches in El Jadida and Dire Dawa
The six winners from these ties will advance to join 42 other teams in the group stage qualifiers.
Some ties present unusual dynamics, notably Djibouti versus South Sudan, where both legs will be played in Juba, giving South Sudan a potential home advantage in both fixtures.
Similarly, Lesotho and Seychelles will contest both legs in Bloemfontein, adding another interesting twist to the qualification format.
Qualification Format and Timeline
The next phase will feature a group stage involving 13 groups of three or four teams. The 13 group winners qualify automatically. They will be joined by three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up compete in a playoff round for the final qualifying spots
Key qualification windows are scheduled for:
- September 21–30, 2026: Match Day 1 and 2
- October 1–6, 2026: Match Day 3 and 4
- November 9–17, 2026: Match Day 5 and 6.
The finals, scheduled from June 19 to July 18, 2027, will mark a historic moment as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the last to hold under the two-year cycle.
As the preliminary round kicks off, smaller footballing nations have a rare opportunity to build momentum and dream of reaching the continent’s biggest stage.
For the 12 teams involved, the message is clear: the road to AFCON 2027 starts now—and only half will take the next step.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb has stated that the tribunal is prepared to handle the Senegal case against CAF and Morocco efficiently.
“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators,” he said.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
CAS noted that proceedings will remain confidential while ongoing, with further updates to be provided only when key milestones, such as a hearing date, are confirmed.
The case now sets the stage for a potentially landmark legal battle over the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football competitions, with the final status of the AFCON 2025 title hanging in the balance.
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