Nigeria’s U-23 team will begin its quest for a place at the 2027 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations against either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers.
The draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday handed Nigeria a bye into the second round, alongside 13 other higher-ranked teams.
Mauritania and DR Congo will first battle for a place in the second round, with the winner advancing to face Nigeria in a two-legged tie.
The first round features 14 two-legged fixtures involving 28 countries. The pairings 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 first-round ties are scheduled for September 28 and October 6, 2026.
The other second-round pairings are:
Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso winner vs Zambia
São Tomé and Príncipe/Equatorial Guinea winner vs Niger
Togo/Libya winner vs Ghana
Tunisia/Benin winner vs Gabon
Kenya/Tanzania winner vs Côte d’Ivoire
Djibouti/South Sudan winner vs Senegal
Ethiopia/Uganda winner vs Morocco
Rwanda/Sudan winner vs Cameroon
Comoros/Madagascar winner vs South Africa
Angola/Namibia winner vs Congo
Seychelles/Botswana winner vs Guinea
Malawi/Eswatini winner vs Algeria
Zimbabwe/Mauritius winner vs Mali
The second-round first legs are scheduled for November 9, with the return fixtures set for November 17, 2026.
A total of 42 countries are involved in the qualifying campaign for the seven available slots at the 2027 tournament in Egypt, with the host nation already guaranteed a place at the finals.
The 2027 U-23 AFCON will also serve as the African qualification tournament for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
For Nigeria, qualification will require overcoming either Mauritania or DR Congo before progressing further in the race for a place at the continental tournament.
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