CAF picks Ekong for AFCON 2027 qualifying draw

Former Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, will take centre stage on Tuesday as he joins other African football legends to conduct the qualification draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Confederation of African Football confirmed the defender as one of the draw assistants alongside Max-Alain Gradel, Essam El Hadary and Trésor Mputu.

The draw will determine Nigeria’s qualification path for the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

A total of 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with only the top two teams from each group qualifying for the tournament.

Nigeria’s campaign will attract strong attention following the Super Eagles’ second and third-place finishes in the last two editions of the competition.

The six-match qualification series will be played across three FIFA international windows between 2026 and 2027, with CAF aiming to build on the growing global appeal and competitiveness of African football.

The 2027 edition will also mark AFCON’s return to East Africa for the first time since 1976.