Nigeria’s Super Eagles begin AFCON 2027 preparations ahead of Madagascar clash

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will officially begin preparations for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with their first training session in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, on Tuesday.

The training session will mark the start of the team’s preparations for their opening Group-stage qualifier against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25.

The Super Eagles are expected to use the opening session to begin fine-tuning their tactical approach for the crucial encounter, while the technical team will also assess the players who have reported to camp and work on the team’s shape ahead of the match.

Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed the training schedule on Monday night, revealing that members of the media will be granted access to the opening 15 minutes of Tuesday’s session.

The arrangement will allow journalists to capture the team’s initial preparations while giving the coaching staff the opportunity to work with the players behind closed doors for the remainder of the session.

Efoghe also disclosed that the entire Super Eagles squad will interact with journalists on Wednesday at the team’s base in Ikot Ekpene.

The players are expected to participate in exclusive interviews as part of the team’s media activities ahead of the opening qualifier.

Nigeria will be keen to make a positive start to their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign when they take on Madagascar in Uyo. The encounter will be the first competitive test for the Super Eagles in the qualifying series and comes with the team eager to secure maximum points on home soil.

Following the Madagascar fixture, Nigeria will shift attention to their second Group-stage assignment, with the Super Eagles scheduled to travel to face Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, September 29.

The two opening fixtures will provide an early indication of Nigeria’s progress in the qualifying campaign, with the Super Eagles aiming to collect a strong points haul from their opening matches and put themselves in a favourable position in the group.

For now, attention remains firmly on Ikot Ekpene, where preparations officially begin on Tuesday as Nigeria steps up its bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON tournament.