I don’t think so - Austin Eguavoen cautions Super Eagles over tough AFCON 2027 qualification group

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director Austin Eguavoen has warned against any sense of complacency following the Super Eagles’ draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria was drawn into Group L alongside Tanzania, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau during the qualification draw held in Cairo on Tuesday.

The qualification series will determine the teams advancing to the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The 2027 edition, officially branded “PAMOJA 2027,” will make history as the first Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be hosted by three countries.

It will also mark the return of the competition to East Africa for the first time since 1976.

The tournament is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, with the top two teams from each qualification group progressing to the finals.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the former Super Eagles coach dismissed suggestions that Nigeria had been handed an easy route to the tournament.

“A lot of people think it’s an easy group, but I don’t think so. However, considering our pedigree and our performance at the last AFCON, where we did brilliantly well, I believe we can scale through. We just have to approach it one game at a time,” Eguavoen said.

The former defender stressed that African football has become increasingly competitive, with smaller nations continuing to improve technically and tactically.

Eguavoen specifically pointed to Guinea-Bissau as one of the teams capable of causing problems for Nigeria based on previous encounters between both nations.

“I remember Guinea-Bissau gave us a run for our money. They are not a bad side at all. When Jose Peseiro was in charge, it was also a very tight game, although we eventually overcame them,” he explained.

He continued, “Madagascar are another hard nut to crack. They are a good side that has improved and evolved seriously. Tanzania will also be a stubborn opponent. We met them at the last AFCON, and they were tough in the first 15 to 20 minutes before we eventually came out on top.”