The Super Eagles of Nigeria will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Nigeria, coached by Eric Chelle, will be seeking three points in their opening Group L fixture as they begin their bid to qualify for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The Super Eagles enter the match following a mixed run in their recent international fixtures. They defeated Zimbabwe and Jamaica before drawing with Poland and losing 2-1 to Portugal in June.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s 12-match unbeaten run under Chelle and was their first loss in regulation time since the Malian took charge.
Chelle will be without Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out of Nigeria’s first two qualifiers after suffering a right adductor strain. Taiwo Awoniyi has been recalled as his replacement, while Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare and George Ilenikhena are among the other attacking options available.
Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze are also expected to play key roles in Nigeria’s attack.
Madagascar will arrive in Uyo with a 25-man squad led by captain Rayan Raveloson. Coach Corentin Martins has also handed first international call-ups to striker Roman Ferber and goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher.
The Barea will draw confidence from their previous meeting with Nigeria, having defeated the Super Eagles 2-0 at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Nigeria have won three of their five previous meetings with Madagascar, with one draw and one defeat.
The qualification race in Group L will be particularly competitive, with Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the 2027 tournament as one of the co-hosts.
After Friday’s fixture, Nigeria will travel to Guinea-Bissau for their second Group L match on September 29.
The Nigeria-Madagascar qualifier will kick off at 5:00 p.m. Nigerian time (4:00 p.m. GMT) on Friday, September 25.
Broadcast details will depend on the official rights holders for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, with fans advised to check local listings and official broadcaster platforms ahead of kick-off.