Madagascar Prepares for Super Eagles Clash as Three Local Players Make Preliminary AFCON Squad

Madagascar national football team By Kunle Solaja Madagascar has begun preparations for its opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Nigeria and Tanzania, with three home-based players included in the preliminary squad for the crucial September double-header. The Malagasy Football Federation has handed call-up letters to Rado Rabemanantsoa, Bono Rabearivelo and Andy Rakotondrajoa, all of Disciples FC, alongside players based abroad as the Barea begin preparations for their campaign. The development comes ahead of Madagascar's potentially challenging opening assignment against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Friday, September 25. The match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Malagasy time at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, giving Nigeria home advantage in the opening encounter of the qualifying series. For the Super Eagles, the fixture represents the first opportunity to make an early statement in the race for qualification for the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Madagascar will face Tanzania four days later, on September 29, but the Barea will not be able to play the match at home because of the unavailability of a suitable stadium. Instead, Madagascar will host the Taifa Stars at the Stade d'Honneur in Meknes, Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Malagasy time. The Malagasy squad for the two opening qualifying matches is expected to be officially announced next week. Following the September fixtures, Madagascar will face Guinea-Bissau in a home-and-away double-header for Matchdays 3 and 4 between November 9 and 17. The Barea will then complete their qualifying campaign with away fixtures against Nigeria and Tanzania between March 22 and 30 next year. The September 25 meeting will therefore provide Nigeria with an important opportunity to establish an early advantage before the Super Eagles travel to Madagascar in the final phase of the qualifying campaign. With three players from Disciples FC already receiving preliminary call-ups, Madagascar's preparations are gathering pace as the island nation seeks to make another appearance at the continental championship. For Nigeria, however, the immediate task is clear: begin the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign on home soil with victory in Uyo. Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: Sports Village Square – WhatsApp channel By Kunle Solaja. Nigeria's Super Eagles will begin their quest for a place at the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 finals when they host Madagascar in their opening Group L qualifier on September 25, as the 48-team qualifying campaign gets underway across the continent. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scheduled Matchdays 1 and 2 between September 24 and October 6, 2026, marking the first major step on the road to the continental showpiece, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Nigeria's opening fixture against Madagascar is billed for September 25 at 4 pm local time, before the three-time African champions travel to face Guinea-Bissau four days later. The Group L double-header gives the Super Eagles a chance to make an early statement in a qualifying group that also includes co-hosts Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau. While Tanzania have already secured automatic qualification as one of the three co-hosts, Nigeria will need to finish in a qualifying position in the group to join the hosts at the finals. Under CAF's qualification format, the 48 participating nations have been divided into 12 groups of four, with the teams playing home and away across six matchdays. The top two teams in groups without a co-host will qualify for the finals. In Groups D, H and L, where Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania respectively are hosts, the highest-placed team other than the automatically qualified host will advance. For Nigeria, the opening assignment against Madagascar will therefore carry considerable importance as the Super Eagles seek to establish an early advantage before travelling to Guinea-Bissau on September 29. The qualification campaign will resume during the November 9-17 FIFA international window, while the final two rounds are scheduled for March 22-30, 2027. Across the continent, Matchday 1 will feature several high-profile encounters, including the heavyweight West African clash between Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana in Group C on September 24. Record seven-time African champions Egypt will host Angola in Cairo, while Algeria will welcome Zambia to Tizi-Ouzou. Morocco will also begin their campaign at home against Gabon. Other opening-day fixtures include Cameroon against Comoros, Senegal against Mozambique, Mali against Cape Verde, Burkina Faso against Benin and South Africa against Guinea. The second round of matches will produce another series of intriguing encounters, with Guinea-Bissau hosting Nigeria, Lesotho welcoming Morocco, Burundi taking on Algeria, Ethiopia facing Senegal and Zimbabwe meeting DR Congo. The AFCON PAMOJA 2027 will represent a historic return of Africa's premier football competition to East Africa, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly staging the tournament more than five decades after the region last hosted the continental finals. For Nigeria, however, attention will first be firmly fixed on Group L, where the Super Eagles will look to launch their qualification campaign with maximum points against Madagascar before facing Guinea-Bissau four days later. MATCHDAY 1 FIXTURES (ALL TIMES IN GMT) Group A: Morocco v Gabon (25/09, 19h00), Niger v Lesotho (25/09, 15h00) Morocco v Gabon (25/09, 19h00), Niger v Lesotho (25/09, 15h00) Group B: Egypt v Angola (25/09, 19h00), Malawi v South Sudan (25/09, 16h00) Egypt v Angola (25/09, 19h00), Malawi v South Sudan (25/09, 16h00) Group C: Côte d'Ivoire v Ghana (24/09, 19h00), Gambia v Somalia (25/09, 16h00) Côte d'Ivoire v Ghana (24/09, 19h00), Gambia v Somalia (25/09, 16h00) Group D: South Africa v Guinea (26/09, 16h00), Kenya v Eritrea (26/09, 13h00) South Africa v Guinea (26/09, 16h00), Kenya v Eritrea (26/09, 13h00) Group E: DR Congo v E Guinea (24/09, 16h00), Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe (24/09, 19h00) DR Congo v E Guinea (24/09, 16h00), Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe (24/09, 19h00) Group F: Burkina Faso v Benin (25/09, 19h00), Mauritania v CAR (24/09, 16h00) Burkina Faso v Benin (25/09, 19h00), Mauritania v CAR (24/09, 16h00) Group G: Cameroon v Comoros (24/09, 19h00), Namibia v Congo (24/09, 13h00) Cameroon v Comoros (24/09, 19h00), Namibia v Congo (24/09, 13h00) Group H: Tunisia v Uganda (24/09, 19h00), Libya v Botswana (24/09, 16h00) Tunisia v Uganda (24/09, 19h00), Libya v Botswana (24/09, 16h00) Group I: Algeria v Zambia (25/09, 19h00), Togo v Burundi (25/09, 16h00) Algeria v Zambia (25/09, 19h00), Togo v Burundi (25/09, 16h00) Group J: Senegal v Mozambique (25/09, 19h00), Sudan v Ethiopia (25/09, 16h00) Senegal v Mozambique (25/09, 19h00), Sudan v Ethiopia (25/09, 16h00) Group K: Mali v Cape Verde (25/09, 19h00), Rwanda v Liberia (25/09, 16h00) Mali v Cape Verde (25/09, 19h00), Rwanda v Liberia (25/09, 16h00) Group L: Nigeria v Madagascar (25/09, 16h00), Tanzania v Guinea-Bissau (25/09, 13h00) MATCHDAY 2 FIXTURES (ALL TIMES IN GMT) Group A: Gabon v Niger (29/09, 19h00), Lesotho v Morocco (29/09, 13h00) Gabon v Niger (29/09, 19h00), Lesotho v Morocco (29/09, 13h00) Group B: Angola v Malawi (06/10, 19h00), South Sudan v Egypt (29/09, 13h00) Angola v Malawi (06/10, 19h00), South Sudan v Egypt (29/09, 13h00) Group C: Ghana v Gambia (29/09, 16h00), Somalia v Côte d'Ivoire (29/09, 19h00) Ghana v Gambia (29/09, 16h00), Somalia v Côte d'Ivoire (29/09, 19h00) Group D: Guinea v Kenya (01/10, 16h00), Eritrea v South Africa (30/09, 16h00) Guinea v Kenya (01/10, 16h00), Eritrea v South Africa (30/09, 16h00) Group E: E Guinea v Sierra Leone (28/09, 16h00), Zimbabwe v DR Congo (28/09, 16h00) E Guinea v Sierra Leone (28/09, 16h00), Zimbabwe v DR Congo (28/09, 16h00) Group F: Benin v Mauritania (29/09, 19h00), CAR v Burkina Faso (28/09, 16h00) Benin v Mauritania (29/09, 19h00), CAR v Burkina Faso (28/09, 16h00) Group G: Comoros v Namibia (29/09, 11h00), Congo v Cameroon (29/09, 19h00) Comoros v Namibia (29/09, 11h00), Congo v Cameroon (29/09, 19h00) Group H: Uganda v Libya (29/09, 16h00), Botswana v Tunisia (28/09, 19h00) Uganda v Libya (29/09, 16h00), Botswana v Tunisia (28/09, 19h00) Group I: Zambia v Togo (29/09, 16h00), Burundi v Algeria (29/09, 13h00) Zambia v Togo (29/09, 16h00), Burundi v Algeria (29/09, 13h00) Group J: Mozambique v Sudan (29/09, 13h00), Ethiopia v Senegal (29/09, 13h00) Mozambique v Sudan (29/09, 13h00), Ethiopia v Senegal (29/09, 13h00) Group K: Cape Verde v Rwanda (29/09, 16h00), Liberia v Mali (29/09, 19h00) Cape Verde v Rwanda (29/09, 16h00), Liberia v Mali (29/09, 19h00) Group L: Madagascar v Tanzania (29/09, 13h00), Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria (29/09, 16h00) Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: Sports Village Square – WhatsApp channel Guinea has officially declared its intention to bid for the right to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in either 2032 or 2036, with the government making the staging of the continental showpiece a national priority. Guinean Sports Minister Mamadou Cellou Baldé confirmed that the country had submitted its official candidacy, saying the application letter was signed on Thursday by Prime Minister Bah Oury on behalf of President Mamady Doumbouya. 'Guinea will be a candidate to host the Africa Cup of Nations, either in 2032 or 2036,' Baldé said. The bid represents a renewed attempt by Guinea to stage Africa's premier football tournament after the country lost the hosting rights for the 2025 AFCON. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew Guinea's hosting rights after determining that the country was not sufficiently prepared in terms of the infrastructure and facilities required to stage the tournament. The new bid is therefore expected to give Guinea several years to address its infrastructural shortcomings and develop the stadiums, transport networks, accommodation and other facilities required to host a major continental sporting event. Regional competition Guinea's proposed bid is likely to face strong competition, particularly for the 2032 edition. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have already announced plans to submit a joint bid for AFCON 2032, while Senegal is also reportedly preparing a candidature for the same tournament. Libya, meanwhile, could seek to host the competition in 2028, 2032 or 2036. The growing list of potential bidders underlines the increasing competition among African nations to secure the right to stage the AFCON, one of the continent's biggest sporting events. For Guinea, however, the latest declaration provides an opportunity to turn the disappointment of losing the 2025 tournament into a long-term infrastructure and sporting development project, with the country now targeting either 2032 or 2036 as its next chance to host the continent's flagship football competition. Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: Sports Village Square – WhatsApp channel By Kunle Solaja. Morocco still maintains its rating as the hub of African international football, as 10 national teams reportedly selected the kingdom to host their official home fixtures during the September FIFA window. According to Moroccan outlet Almountakhab , Mauritania, Niger, Lesotho, Central African Republic, Liberia, Benin, Togo, Guinea, Madagascar and Somalia are expected to stage their matches in Morocco after their home venues failed to secure approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The development means Moroccan stadiums could host a series of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches during the upcoming international break, further underlining the country's growing importance as a continental football destination. The affected nations have been compelled to look outside their borders because of the inability of their own stadiums to meet CAF's technical and infrastructure requirements for international fixtures. Morocco, with its growing collection of CAF-approved stadiums and established experience in hosting major football competitions, has emerged as a preferred alternative. The influx of national teams is another indication of the Kingdom's expanding role in African football. Its modern stadiums, training facilities, transport network and match-day infrastructure have increasingly made it an attractive venue for countries unable to host international fixtures at home. The September window could consequently see several Moroccan cities transformed into temporary home bases for national teams from different parts of Africa, creating an unusual concentration of international football across the Kingdom. The development also fits into Morocco's broader strategy of strengthening its sports infrastructure ahead of major international events. The country is preparing to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, while continuing to position itself as a leading football hub in Africa. For the visiting countries, playing their home fixtures in Morocco offers an opportunity to compete in venues that satisfy CAF's standards without having to surrender home advantage completely. The exact Moroccan stadiums and dates for the matches are expected to be confirmed once the official fixture schedule for the September international window is finalised. With 10 African nations reportedly turning to the Kingdom at the same time, Morocco is poised to reinforce its reputation not merely as a host of major tournaments, but as a reliable continental home for African international football. Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: Sports Village Square – WhatsApp channel