Former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has shared his excitement ahead of the highly anticipated clash between Ghana national football team and Ivory Coast national football team in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The draw for the AFCON qualifiers was held in Cairo on Tuesday, with Ghana and Ivory Coast placed in Group C alongside Gambia and Somalia.
The meeting between the two West African football giants is already attracting massive attention and is expected to be one of the biggest fixtures in the qualification series.
Speaking to CAF Media after the draw, Troost-Ekong said he is eager to watch how the group unfolds, especially the encounters involving Ghana and Ivory Coast.
“I’m really excited now to see the draw for the qualification groups. I think for Nigeria, we have seen some teams that we have faced many times before, like Tanzania, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau. But also, I think we have some tough groups. I’m looking forward to seeing how Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana do against Gambia and Somalia. Overall, I think it’s going to be exciting and a great run-up to the tournament in 2027,” he said.
With the draw now completed, attention will now turn to the opening matches of the qualification campaign.
The first two match windows for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers are expected to be played between September 21 and October 6.













