BetGenius
Round
Group Stage - 1
Venue
Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo
Referee
A. Mahamat
Form

Recent form

Nigeria
44Poor

Last 5 matches · 2W-1D-2L · 0 goal difference

Madagascar
32Poor

Last 4 matches · 1W-1D-2L · -2 goal difference

Our call

Our verdict

Combo Bet
Nigeria to win + Over 1.5 Goals

BetGenius backs Nigeria to win + Over 1.5 Goals (Combo Bet) at 75% confidence — a strong call.

75%
Confidence
Strong
Preview

Match preview

Nigeria open their AFCON Qualification campaign at home against Madagascar looking to establish early momentum in the group stage. The hosts have displayed consistent attacking output across recent fixtures, picking up a 2-0 home victory over Zimbabwe and a 3-0 away win against Jamaica, alongside a 2-2 draw with Poland and a 1-2 defeat against Portugal.

Madagascar arrive having experienced mixed results on the road. A 0-4 defeat away to Morocco demonstrated vulnerabilities against elite continental opponents, though they previously earned a 1-1 draw at Equatorial Guinea and a 5-2 win over Kyrgyzstan. In their sole previous head-to-head encounter at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Madagascar defeated Nigeria 2-0.

With home advantage and reliable scoring numbers across their recent matches, Nigeria hold the upper hand to secure a positive result, while recent scorelines for both teams point toward an open contest with scoring opportunities.

Numbers

Statistical comparison

Nigeria at homeMadagascar away
1
Played
1
1-0-0
W-D-L
0-0-1
—
Scored /game
—
—
Conceded /game
—
—
Clean sheets
—
—
Failed to score
—
60%
BTTS (last 5)
—
100%
Over 2.5 (last 5)
—
History

Head-to-head

0
Nigeria
0
Draws
1
Madagascar

Madagascar have won 1 of the last 1 meeting.

  • 2019-06-30Madagascar2-0Nigeria
BetGenius

Our record in AFCON Qualification

64%49 won from 77 settled predictions

Settled results only — every published pick is recorded win or lose. Full track record →

Based on at least 20 settled predictions.
Predictions

3 published markets

FeaturedWON
Combo Bet
Nigeria to win + Over 1.5 Goals
75%
Both must land · no better than

Nigeria or Draw — 78% confidence

Nigeria have shown steady form across their recent outings, finding the net in all four recorded matches and recording convincing multi-goal wins against Jamaica and Zimbabwe. Madagascar struggled defensively in their recent 0-4 away loss to Morocco, making Nigeria well positioned to avoid defeat on home turf.

Over 1.5 Goals — 75% confidence

Each of Nigeria's last four recorded fixtures produced at least two goals, including scorelines of 2-0, 3-0, 2-2, and 1-2. Madagascar's last four completed games have also each seen two or more goals, including a 0-4 loss to Morocco and a 5-2 win over Kyrgyzstan.

These two calls are about different parts of the match (double chance and total goals), so neither one determines the other. The figure shown is the lower of the two — a combo can never be more likely than its weaker leg.

Combo BetWON
Total Goals
Over 1.5 Goals
75%
Confidence

Each of Nigeria's last four recorded fixtures produced at least two goals, including scorelines of 2-0, 3-0, 2-2, and 1-2. Madagascar's last four completed games have also each seen two or more goals, including a 0-4 loss to Morocco and a 5-2 win over Kyrgyzstan.

Combo BetWON
Match Winner
Nigeria to win
74%
Confidence

Nigeria enter this qualifying opener in strong attacking form, having scored eight goals across their last four outings against Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Poland, and Portugal. Madagascar showed vulnerability when facing higher-tier opposition away from home in their 0-4 loss to Morocco. Playing at home gives Nigeria the decisive edge to claim all three points.

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Published September 24, 2026. Form, team news and table context refresh automatically.