Troost-Ekong Set To Assist AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Draw As CAF Announces Legends Lineup

According to Ireporter Online, the Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) announced Troost-Ekong alongside former African stars Max-Alain Gradel, Essam El Hadary, and Trésor Mputu as part of the draw assistants for the ceremony.

CAF described the group as “African legends on draw duty,” revealing that the quartet will help oversee the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Draw scheduled to take place later today.

The draw will determine Nigeria’s qualification pathway for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda under the “PAMOJA 2027” banner, a Swahili word meaning “together,” symbolising East African unity.

A total of 48 national teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with only the top two teams from each group securing automatic qualification for the finals.

Nigeria will head into the qualifiers under close scrutiny following mixed performances in recent editions, where they finished second and third. Expectations remain high that the Super Eagles can secure an early advantage and book their place at the tournament.

The qualification series will span six matches across three FIFA international windows between 2026 and 2027, placing emphasis on squad depth, consistency, and player fitness over an extended campaign.

The 2027 AFCON will mark a return to East Africa for the first time since 1976, with the multi-country hosting expected to test participating teams across different venues and playing conditions.