Chadian Referee Mahamat to Officiate Nigeria vs Madagascar AFCON Qualifier
Chadian referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat has been appointed to take charge of Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Madagascar in Uyo, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Mahamat will oversee the Group L encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday, September 25, as the Super Eagles begin their campaign for a place at the continental tournament.
The Chadian official is an experienced figure on the African football scene and has previously featured on CAF’s list of international match officials.
He will be assisted by his appointed officiating team for the fixture, which will see Nigeria face a Madagascar side hoping to begin their qualifying campaign with a positive result away from home.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will look to make home advantage count as Eric Chelle begins his first competitive AFCON qualifying campaign with the Super Eagles.
The match is scheduled for a 5:00pm kick-off in Nigeria, corresponding to 4:00pm GMT.
The Super Eagles will enter the encounter without injured striker Victor Osimhen, who has been ruled out of both opening qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Madagascar will arrive in Uyo with a 25-man squad selected by coach Corentin Martins, including first-time senior call-ups Zacharie Boucher and Roman Ferber, while Warren Caddy has returned to the national setup.
The fixture is the first of Nigeria’s two opening Group L matches, with the Super Eagles scheduled to travel to Guinea-Bissau on September 29 for their second qualifier.
CAF has confirmed that Tanzania, as one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON alongside Kenya and Uganda, are already guaranteed a place at the finals. Consequently, Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will compete to finish as the highest-ranked non-host nation in Group L.
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