Nigeria and Ghana suffer major upsets in AFCON 2027 qualifying

Nigeria and Ghana both suffered significant upsets in their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches, according to Al Jazeera, in results that raise questions about both teams' preparations for the tournament.

The Gambia staged a comeback to beat Ghana 4-2, overturning an early deficit to secure a result that will be seen as one of the shocks of this qualifying round. The result complicates Ghana's path through their qualifying group.

Nigeria's Super Eagles suffered an even more striking defeat, losing 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau despite fielding seven players who currently start for Premier League clubs. The scale of the defeat is likely to prompt scrutiny of the team's tactical setup and preparation heading into the qualifying campaign.

Both Nigeria and Ghana are among the more successful nations in African football history, and results of this kind are uncommon against opponents generally considered less prominent on the continental stage. The upsets highlight the increasingly competitive nature of African World Cup and AFCON qualifying, where smaller footballing nations have increasingly been able to challenge traditional powers.

Both teams will look to respond in their upcoming qualifying fixtures as they aim to secure their places in the 2027 tournament.