African football’s race for places at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will gather momentum this week, with Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Egypt and Morocco among the countries preparing for important qualifying fixtures.
Matchday Three of the campaign will take place from Thursday, 12 November, to Saturday, 14 November 2026, with several high-profile encounters scheduled across the continent.
Nigeria’s meeting with Tanzania is among Friday’s headline fixtures, while defending African champions Ivory Coast face The Gambia on Thursday in another potentially challenging contest.
Three-time champions Nigeria will be hoping to use home advantage to strengthen their qualification prospects, while Ghana will also be seeking a positive result when they welcome Somalia.
Other notable matches will see Senegal take on Sudan, Cameroon host Namibia, Egypt meet Malawi and Morocco face Niger.
With qualification places at stake, the latest round of matches offers several leading African nations an opportunity to strengthen their positions as the campaign progresses.
Nigeria face important Tanzania test
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take centre stage on Friday when they host Tanzania in one of the most anticipated matches of the round.
The encounter represents an important opportunity for head coach Éric Chelle to guide his team towards a positive result and build momentum in their pursuit of qualification.
The three-time African champions will be expected to make their home advantage count against a Tanzanian side hoping to produce an upset.
Nigeria possess considerable attacking quality and experience, raising expectations that they can deliver a strong performance in front of their supporters.
However, Tanzania could make the contest difficult if the Super Eagles fail to take advantage of their goalscoring opportunities.
The match is scheduled to begin at 16:00 on Friday, 13 November.
Ivory Coast and Senegal face Thursday challenges
Thursday’s programme will feature several important encounters, including Ivory Coast’s meeting with The Gambia.
The Elephants will be looking to maintain their strong position in African football as they continue their pursuit of another appearance at the continental tournament.
However, The Gambia’s ability to compete against established African sides means the Ivorians cannot afford to approach the contest without caution.
The Scorpions will be hoping to frustrate their opponents, remain organised defensively and capitalise on any mistakes made by the hosts.
Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00.
Senegal will also be in action on Thursday, with the Teranga Lions facing Sudan at the same time.
Regarded as one of Africa’s strongest national teams, Senegal will be aiming to maintain their competitive standards and improve their prospects of reaching the 2027 tournament.
Sudan, meanwhile, will be seeking a disciplined performance capable of troubling their more highly regarded opponents.
Cameroon will complete another notable group of Thursday fixtures when they welcome Namibia.
The Indomitable Lions will look to use their experience and home advantage to secure a positive result, although Namibia will be determined to make life difficult for the hosts.
That encounter is also scheduled for 19:00.
Egypt, Morocco and South Africa among Friday’s attractions
Friday’s programme will bring several other established African football nations into action.
Seven-time continental champions Egypt will host Malawi at 19:00, with the Pharaohs seeking maximum points as they continue their qualification campaign.
Morocco will welcome Niger at 20:00, with the Atlas Lions looking to maintain their standing among Africa’s leading football nations.
South Africa will also be involved, taking on Kenya at 16:00.
Bafana Bafana will be targeting victory against a Kenyan side eager to make an impression during the qualifying campaign.
Other Friday fixtures include Zambia against Burundi, Comoros versus Congo, Mozambique against Ethiopia, Gabon versus Lesotho, Burkina Faso against Mauritania, Tunisia against Libya and Cape Verde versus Liberia.
Benin Republic will meet Central African Republic, while Mali take on Rwanda later in the day.
