The Super Eagles fell behind early when Ehsan Kari gave Madagascar the lead in the 16th minute. Nigeria responded strongly and equalised in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half through George Ilenikhena. The turnaround was completed in the 65th minute when Moses Usor scored the winner after being set up by Semi Ajayi.
A notable feature of the match was the return of Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to the national team. Nwabali had been left out of the June fixtures after finding himself without a club following his departure from Chippa United. His selection marked a positive step as he reclaimed his place between the posts for Eric Chelle’s side.
Elsewhere, Patrick Vieira began his reign as Senegal coach with a 1-1 draw away to Mozambique. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for the Lions of Teranga in the 32nd minute, registering the first goal of the Vieira era. However, Mozambique fought back and equalised just before half-time through Sporting Lisbon forward Geny Catamo.
In another Group L encounter, Guinea-Bissau produced an impressive away performance to defeat co-hosts Tanzania 2-0. Goals from Franculino and Mama Baldé secured a strong start for Guinea-Bissau at the Amaan Stadium and left the Taifa Stars with an opening defeat on home soil.
The results leave Nigeria with three points from their first match, while Senegal and Mozambique share the spoils in their Group J opener. Guinea-Bissau also sit on maximum points after their solid away win.
With the 2027 finals set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the qualifying campaign is already delivering competitive encounters. Teams will now prepare for the next round of fixtures as they continue the race for the 24 places available at the finals.