Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong will be among the officials taking centre stage on Tuesday as he joins other African football greats to conduct the draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the inclusion of the Nigerian defender in a post on X on Monday. He will serve as one of the draw assistants alongside Max-Alain Gradel, Essam El Hadary and Trésor Mputu.
“African legends on draw duty,” CAF wrote. “Meet tomorrow’s AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Draw assistants: Max-Alain Gradel, William Troost-Ekong, Essam El Hadary, and Trésor Mputu.”
The draw will determine the qualification pathway for Nigeria and other nations ahead of the tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. A total of 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the finals.
Nigeria’s campaign will attract significant attention after finishing second and third in the last two editions, with expectations high that the Super Eagles will begin their qualification journey strongly.
The six-match qualifying series will be played across three FIFA international windows between 2026 and 2027, placing emphasis on squad depth and consistency over a longer campaign.
The 2027 AFCON, also known as PAMOJA 2027, will mark a return to East Africa for the first time since 1976, with CAF highlighting expanded logistics and travel demands across the three host nations.
The Super Eagles will discover their qualification opponents when the draw is held on Tuesday.
