Without kicking a single ball.. A strange scenario pushes Niger to the final round of U23 AFCON qualifiers

Niger benefits from CAF's strange withdrawal behind the scenes

Africa Today at 12:22

Add Foot Africa on Google

Without kicking a single ball.. A strange scenario pushes Niger to the final round of U23 AFCON qualifiers

16.11.26 FT Africa U23 Cup of Nations

Niger U23

Equatorial Guinea U23

Niger have secured a place in the third and final round of the 2027 U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers without playing a single match, following Equatorial Guinea's withdrawal from the competition.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on Wednesday 11 November, that both legs of the second round encounter between the two countries had been cancelled, handing Niger automatic qualification.

The decision leaves 13 two legged ties to determine the remaining places in the final qualifying round, scheduled for March 2027.

But the circumstances behind Niger's qualification reveal an unusual twist.

Equatorial Guinea had themselves advanced to the second round without playing after Sao Tome and Príncipe withdrew from their opening qualifying tie in October.

Now, just over a month later, Equatorial Guinea have withdrawn too, allowing Niger to progress through another round without taking the field.

Two withdrawals, two automatic qualifications

Niger were originally exempt from the opening round of qualification, as Foot Africa reported following the August draw.

They were scheduled to begin their campaign against Equatorial Guinea who had received an automatic passage through the first round following Sao Tome and Príncipe's withdrawal.

However, those plans have now changed.

In its official second round preview, CAF confirmed the cancellation of both fixtures and Niger's direct advancement.

The governing body's announcement did not specify why Equatorial Guinea withdrew.

The result is a rare qualifying scenario in which Niger have reached the final preliminary stage without contesting either of the first two rounds.

🚨 𝐔𝟐𝟑 𝐀𝐅𝐂𝐎𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐒 — 𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐖 🚨 The 14 exempted teams will be divided into two pots based on their ranking: 🟠 𝐏𝐎𝐓 𝟒 — 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 🇳🇪 Niger 🇩🇿 Algeria 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇬 Congo 🇬🇦 Gabon 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇸🇳 Senegal 🔵 𝐏𝐎𝐓 𝟓 — 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇲🇱 Mali 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire 🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇬🇳 Guinea 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: One team from Pot 4 will be drawn against a winner from the 1st Round. One team from Pot 5 will also be drawn against another 1st Round winner. The winners of those two ties will then face each other in the 3rd Round. The process continues until all 14 teams from the 2nd Round are determined. #U23AFCON #AfricanFootball #CAF
— Micky Jnr (@MickyJnr__) August 25, 2026

One more hurdle before Egypt 2027

Although Niger have secured their place in the decisive qualifying round, they have not yet qualified for the continental tournament.

Fourteen teams will compete in seven two legged ties in March 2027, with the winners joining hosts Egypt at the eight team finals.

For Niger, the opportunity carries particular significance after their appearance at the 2023 U23 AFCON in Morocco.

They finished third in their group with four points, narrowly missing the semi finals after a 2-0 defeat against Mali.

The 2027 edition also forms part of Africa's qualification pathway for the men's football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our Editorial Policy .

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.