William Troost‑Ekong, the former Super Eagles captain and AFCON 2023 Most Valuable Player, will join a panel of African football icons. Together, they will conduct the official draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Cairo.
The former Nigeria captain stood at the centre of a ceremony that will chart his country’s return to the tournament. Nigeria has won this tournament three times. The Confederation of African Football has selected Ekong as one of four draw assistants for the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers. In addition, Ivory Coast’s Max‑Alain Gradel, Egypt’s Essam El Hadary, and DR Congo’s Trésor Mputu will join him.
“African legends on draw duty,” CAF wrote in a post on X, unveiling the four assistants.
The draw will take place at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo at 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT). The officials will split forty‑eight nations into 12 groups of four; only the top two from each pool advance to the finals in East Africa.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will jointly host the tournament—the first time three nations have shared hosting duties in the competition’s 64‑year history.
The event marks a return of the continental finals to East Africa after 51 years.
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Why Ekong?
Ekong’s selection is a natural recognition of his recent feats. At the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, he captained Nigeria to the final and was named Player of the Tournament.
He also earned a place in the Team of the Tournament, finishing as the Super Eagles’ joint‑top scorer with three goals from his centre‑back position. His 83 international caps stretch across three AFCON tournaments. In addition, he played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
They will play the qualifying campaign across three FIFA international windows, beginning with matchdays one and two. These matches will take place between 21 September and 6 October 2026.
The final round of fixtures is set for 22 to 30 March 2027. Nigeria, seeking a fourth continental crown, will learn its path when the groups are confirmed.
