Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations have received a boost after Madagascar and Guinea Bissau played out a 1 to 1 draw in their Group L encounter on Thursday.
The draw in Meknès, Morocco will give Nigeria a chance to improve their position ahead of the crucial clash against Tanzania.
Warren Caddy put Madagascar ahead shortly before the hour mark, but Renato Nhaga scored six minutes from full time to earn Guinea-Bissau a share of the points. The Djurtus also came close to securing victory late in the game, but their effort struck the post.
Guinea-Bissau remains top of Group L with seven points from three matches, while Madagascar has two points. Nigeria occupies second place with three points.
The News Chronicle reports that Nigeria needs victories in both legs against Tanzania to strengthen their qualification hopes, alongside favourable results in the remaining fixtures involving their group rivals.
A win for Eric Chelle’s side on Friday would take Nigeria to six points, putting them one point ahead of Guinea-Bissau before the return fixture on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles will host Tanzania at the newly refurbished Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with kick-off scheduled for 5 pm.
Tanzania has already secured a place at the 2027 tournament as one of the host countries.
