Nigeria vs Madagascar fixture will mark Nigeria’s first competitive match in the qualification race for the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
It is Nigeria’s opening Group L fixture, with kick-off set for 4:00 pm GMT, 5:00 pm Nigerian time.
Nigeria will go into the match under head coach Eric Chelle, who will be looking to guide the team to a positive start after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Quotes
One of the major talking points ahead of the match is the absence of Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. Okoye is set to miss Nigeria’s opening AFCON qualifiers after staying back for club duties, and coach Chelle provides insights
“Maduka Okoye is not here. His club asked me to allow him to do some club-related activities, and I agreed. He isn’t here now, so I have to manage the situation.”
We have to forget what happened before and focus on what is in front of us. The boys are the best, and they are motivated. We have to be ready to give it a fight. The players are ready.
Team captain Wilfred Ndidi declares the team’s readiness to get the job done.
“As the coach said, pressure is part of our job. I don’t know about the other teams, but we will do our job. What happened when we started badly in the WC qualifiers will not happen again.
Nigeria Vs Madagascar Head-to-Head
Nigeria and Madagascar have played each other five times at senior international level. The Super Eagles have won three of those meetings, Madagascar have recorded one victory, while one match ended in a draw. Nigeria have scored five goals in the five encounters, while Madagascar have found the net twice.
- 7 Oct 2000: Madagascar 0–0 Nigeria
- 2 Jun 2001: Nigeria 1–0 Madagascar
- 5 Sep 2010: Nigeria 2–0 Madagascar
- 4 Sep 2011: Madagascar 0–2 Nigeria
- 30 Jun 2019: Madagascar 2–0 Nigeria
How to Watch Nigeria Vs Madagascar
The Nigeria vs Madagascar game will air on DSTV, and only in Nigeria.
Tanzania has already secured a place at the 2027 tournament as one of the co-hosts; Nigeria, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau will compete for the qualifying spot available to the highest-ranked non-host team in Group L.
Meanwhile, Chadian Referee Mahamat To Officiate Nigeria-Madagascar AFCON Qualifier.
Also, after the Madagascar game, Nigeria will travel to Guinea-Bissau for the second qualifying fixture on September 29.
