Nigeria and Ghana suffered disappointing results on Tuesday as the race for qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) intensified, with both West African giants falling to defeats in their respective groups.

While Guinea-Bissau produced a commanding 3-0 victory over Nigeria in Group L, The Gambia completed a stunning comeback to defeat Ghana 4-2 in Group C.

The results leave both Nigeria and Ghana under early pressure after just two rounds of qualifying, while Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia moved to six points from their opening two matches.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Nigeria struggled to reproduce the fighting spirit that earned them a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in their opening fixture.

Guinea-Bissau took control after Franculino opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Mama Baldé extended the hosts' advantage midway through the second half before Álvaro Djaló put the result beyond doubt with a third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The victory gave Guinea-Bissau back-to-back wins after they began their campaign with a 2-0 away victory over co-hosts Tanzania.

Nigeria's defeat is particularly significant because Tanzania already have an automatic place at the 2027 AFCON as one of the tournament's co-hosts. This means only the highest-placed qualifying team among Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Madagascar will secure the additional qualification place from Group L.

Ghana also endured a painful evening after throwing away a two-goal advantage against The Gambia.

The Black Stars appeared to be in control when Ernest Nuamah converted a penalty in the 27th minute before Felix Afena-Gyan doubled Ghana's lead just six minutes later.

However, The Gambia responded almost immediately. Muhammed Badamosi pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, while Omar Colley completed the first-half comeback five minutes later to send both teams into the interval level at 2-2.

The Gambia continued their momentum after the break, with Ebrima Colley putting the hosts ahead in the 68th minute before adding another goal deep into stoppage time to complete a 4-2 victory.

The result gives The Gambia six points from two matches after their opening 2-1 victory over Somalia.

For Ghana, however, the situation is considerably more difficult. The Black Stars have now lost their first two qualifying matches, having previously suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Côte d'Ivoire.

Elsewhere, Rwanda maintained their perfect start to the qualifying campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory away to Cape Verde in Group K.

Cape Verde took the lead through Benchimol five minutes before half-time, but Rwanda responded in stoppage time through Claude Niyomugabo.

Elie Iradukunda Tatou then completed Rwanda's comeback seven minutes after the restart, securing a second consecutive victory for his side.

Rwanda had opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Liberia and now sit on six points, while Cape Verde remain without a point after also losing 3-1 to Mali in their opening fixture.

Zambia also bounced back from their opening-day defeat to Algeria with a 2-0 victory over Togo in Group I.

Albert Kangwanda gave Zambia an early lead after just three minutes, converting from Fashion Sakala's assist. Substitute Eliya Mandanji later sealed the victory with a stoppage-time goal.

Zambia now have three points, while Togo remain on three points following their opening victory over Burundi.

In Group H, co-hosts Uganda recorded their first victory by defeating Libya 1-0.

Arnold Vula scored the decisive goal in first-half stoppage time, giving Uganda four points from their opening two matches after they began the campaign with a 1-1 away draw against Tunisia.

Libya, meanwhile, have one point from two matches after their opening 2-2 draw with Botswana.

The 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with the qualification structure taking into account the automatic places already secured by co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The latest results have put Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia and Rwanda among the teams enjoying perfect starts, while Nigeria and Ghana will need to respond in their next fixtures to strengthen their positions in the qualifying race.

The qualifiers will now take a break before Matchdays 3 and 4 return during the November 9–17, 2026 FIFA international window.

Matchdays 5 and 6 are scheduled for March 22–30, 2027, as the battle for places at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations continues.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia