Former Nigeria defender and 2013 AFCON winner, Azubuike Egwuekwe, has urged the Super Eagles to approach their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with maximum seriousness, warning that any repeat of the mistakes that contributed to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification failure could prove costly, Completesports.com reports.
Nigeria begin their quest for a place at the 2027 AFCON on Friday 25 September 2026 when they face Madagascar in their opening Group L qualifier in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, before travelling to Bissau four days later to take on Guinea-Bissau.
Super Eagles Must Learn From 2026 World Cup Qualifying Setback
Egwuekwe issued the warning on Monday evening as the Super Eagles’ camp opened in Ikot Ekpene in preparation for their opening AFCON 2027 qualifying fixture.
The former defender reminded the Super Eagles that a lack of seriousness and the apparent underestimation of opponents in the early stages of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers contributed to Nigeria’s failure to secure a place at the global showpiece.
“We didn’t go to the 2026 World Cup because we didn’t take the qualifiers seriously from the beginning and we paid dearly for it,” Egwuekwe recalled.
“And again, perhaps we felt that our group opponents then were not up to scratch, so we assumed it was going to be a walk in the park for us. By the time reality began to dawn on us, the usual fire brigade approach set in and, eventually, we lost out.
‘Super Eagles Must Respect Every Opponent’ — Egwuekwe
“One hopes the team, this time, isn’t going to toe that path again. We must not begin to assume that Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, who are in our group (L), would lie down for us to stroll over.
“Events have shown there are no minnows in the game of football these days. Take the case of Cape Verde during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as an example.
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“So, to me, I think approaching each game with our best and with all seriousness, as though that was the only game standing between us and a ticket, should be the best approach.
“We cannot afford the mistakes of the past while hoping for success. Yes, in terms of talent, Nigeria has it, much more in abundance than any other country in Africa and beyond.
“So, we must match this with results on the pitch, match in, match out, starting from Friday’s game against Madagascar.”
Eagles Face Guinea-Bissau on Matchday 2
Nigeria, three-time winners of the AFCON, will face Guinea-Bissau in their second Group L qualifier in Bissau four days after the Madagascar encounter.
The 2027 AFCON will, for the first time, be staged simultaneously across three countries — Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania — from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with 24 teams set to take part.
