Nigeria have been placed in Pot 1 for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers draw. Ghana are in Pot 2. The four-time African champions will learn their qualifying path on Tuesday. This will happen when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the draw at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo at 12:00 GMT.
The seeding structure means Ghana could face Nigeria in the group stage. Teams in Pot 1 cannot face one another, but officials can pair Pot 2 nations with any top-seeded side. Ghana headlines Pot 2 alongside Cape Verde, Guinea, Gabon, Uganda, Angola, Benin, Zambia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea and Comoros.
Pot 1 elite
Pot 1 consists of Africa’s strongest nations. The top seeds are Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso. These 12 nations are seeded as group favourites. They are also guaranteed to avoid each other in the qualifying phase.
The draw format
CAF will divide 48 nations into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group normally qualify for the 24-team finals. These will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. However, the three co-hosts are already guaranteed places. They will still participate in the qualifiers.
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Only one additional nation will qualify from each of their groups. This increases the pressure on every fixture in those sections. The draw procedure will begin with the placement of Pot 4 teams before moving upward through Pot 3, Pot 2, and concluding with Pot 1. This means the highest-ranked nations will have to wait the longest to discover their opponents.
Jollof derby on the cards
A potential Nigeria-Ghana clash would renew one of African football’s fiercest rivalries. The two West African giants have met 59 times, with Nigeria winning 26 and Ghana 18, including two draws. The “Jollof Derby” has produced some of the continent’s most memorable moments. This includes the 2000 AFCON final co-hosted by both nations, which Cameroon won on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw in Lagos.
Qualification schedule
Officials will stage the qualification campaign across three FIFA international windows. Matchdays one and two will take place between September 21 and October 6, 2026. The organizers have scheduled matchdays three and four for November 9 to 17, 2026, while the final round of fixtures will take place from March 22 to 30, 2027. Each team will play two matches during every window.
For Ghana, the draw represents a critical moment. Missing the 2025 tournament was a bitter blow for the four-time champions. Now, with Pot 2 status and the possibility of facing Nigeria, the Black Stars face a challenging road. They must fight their way back to Africa’s biggest stage.
For Nigeria, the path appears smoother from Pot 1. But in African football, nothing is guaranteed. The draw in Cairo will determine just how steep the mountain is for both West African giants.
