Three-time champions Nigeria will discover their opponents for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Tuesday when the Confederation of African Football conducts the draw for the tournament to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The qualifying draw will be held at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo ahead of the finals, which are scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

Tagged AFCON PAMOJA 2027, it will be the first edition in the competition’s history to be co-hosted by three countries.

Nigeria won the tournament in 1980, 1994 and 2013. The Super Eagles also finished runners-up in 2023 and third in 2025.

A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, will participate in the qualifiers.

According to CAF, the 48 participating countries will be divided into 12 groups of four teams, with the top two sides in each group qualifying automatically for the finals.

However, because Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already secured qualification as hosts, only one additional team will qualify from each of their groups.

The qualifiers will be played across three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027.

CAF said, “Matchdays one and two are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, 2026, while the third and fourth rounds of fixtures will take place from November 9 to 17, 2026. The final qualification matches are set for March 22 to 30, 2027.

“For the co-hosts, the tournament represents more than just football.

“Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda view AFCON 2027 as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate infrastructure development, tourism and international investment while showcasing East Africa’s culture and passion for the game on the continental stage.”

Former Super Eagles forward Obinna Nsofor has urged Victor Osimhen to leave Galatasaray this summer, insisting that a move to a club capable of challenging for the UEFA Champions League is the only thing standing between the Nigerian striker and a place among Europe’s elite.

Nsofor, who represented Nigeria at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where the Super Eagles won silver, made his position clear while acknowledging the Turkish giants’ status as a major club.

“Victor Osimhen has done enough at Galatasaray. If he truly wants to become the best striker in the world, then he must move to a club that can compete seriously for the UEFA Champions League. Right now, the only thing separating him from the very top is winning at the highest level in Europe,” Nsofor said on Brila in quotes shared on X on Thursday.

“Galatasaray is a big club, nobody can deny that, but when you talk about clubs expected to win the UEFA Champions League, they are not among the favourites. Osimhen is already at the level where he should be competing with the very best strikers every single season.”

Osimhen, 27, has enjoyed a remarkable two-season spell at Galatasaray, scoring 59 goals in 74 appearances and helping the club win three trophies, including a fourth consecutive league title secured last weekend with a brace in a 4-2 win over Antalyaspor. This season alone, the Nigerian has registered 15 goals and five assists in 22 league appearances.

The striker first rose to prominence at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he led Nigeria to a fifth title and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals, a record that still stands. He later shone at Lille before moving to Napoli, where he was instrumental in the club’s first Serie A title in 33 years during the 2022/23 season, finishing as top scorer and placing eighth in the Ballon d’Or.

Interest in Osimhen ahead of the summer window is considerable, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona all linked with the forward.

Mourinho, currently in charge of Benfica, is reported to be in talks with Real Madrid ahead of a potential return. The Portuguese manager has previously compared Osimhen to Didier Drogba and faced him regularly during his time as AS Roma manager.

A move to Chelsea broke down in 2024, while Osimhen also rejected a lucrative Saudi Arabia offer before choosing Galatasaray. Now entering the prime years of his career, the expectation is that a return to one of Europe’s biggest leagues is imminent.

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Scientists and climate experts have warned that players and fans could face dangerous heat conditions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, urging FIFA to strengthen its safety measures before the tournament begins.

As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, in an open letter signed by medical experts, climate researchers, and sports scientists, the group called on FIFA to adopt stricter heat protection standards proposed by FIFPRO, the global football players’ union.

The experts warned that rising temperatures across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the three host nations for the 2026 tournament, could place athletes and spectators at serious risk.

“Player safety is an immediate and urgent concern because things can go wrong very quickly when people overheat,” said Andrew Simms, who coordinated the letter.

“We’re worried that FIFA is playing recklessly with the health and safety of players,” Simms added.

The concerns come after new analysis by the World Weather Attribution group found that around one quarter of World Cup matches could be played in temperatures above 26°C Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), a key measure used to assess heat stress.

Scientists also warned that approximately five matches could exceed 28°C WBGT, conditions that FIFPRO considers unsafe for professional football.

Experts say the risk of extreme heat at the tournament has nearly doubled compared to the 1994 World Cup, which was also hosted in North America.

In addition to heatwaves, scientists warned that thunderstorms and wildfire smoke could also affect matches during the summer tournament.

The scientists hope FIFA will revise its policies before the tournament begins next summer.

In response, FIFA said it would implement a “tiered heat mitigation model” during the competition, with safety measures adjusted according to real-time weather conditions.

A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation would provide dedicated meteorological monitoring across host cities, using WBGT readings and heat indexes to guide decision-making during matches.

FIFA also stated that kickoff schedules had been designed with climate conditions in mind, with efforts made to avoid matches during the hottest parts of the day and to prioritize warmer fixtures in covered stadiums.

The governing body added that it would continue working with medical experts and local authorities to ensure what it described as a “safe and resilient” tournament.

However, critics argue that climate change is making summer sporting events increasingly dangerous, raising broader questions about the future of major tournaments in extreme weather conditions.

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