AFCON 2027 Qualifying Draw Holds In Cairo On Tuesday

The Confederation of African Football will conduct the qualifying draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, officially launching the road to the tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In a statement released on Sunday, CAF confirmed that 48 nations will discover their paths to the finals during the event at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo.

The tournament, named “AFCON PAMOJA 2027” — “pamoja” meaning “together” in Swahili — marks the first three-nation co-hosting in competition history.

Scheduled from June 19 to July 17, 2027, the finals will return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted in 1976.

The 48 qualifying teams will be split into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing automatically.

However, because Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have already secured their places as hosts, only one additional team will qualify from their respective groups.

Qualification matches will take place across three FIFA international windows: September 21 to October 6, 2026; November 9 to 17, 2026; and March 22 to 30, 2027.

Powerhouses such as Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa enter as favorites, but CAF noted that recent campaigns have shown the gap between traditional giants and rising nations like Comoros and Gambia is narrowing rapidly.

CAF added that the tournament aims to build on the commercial success of recent editions in Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco while boosting infrastructure, tourism, and regional cooperation across East Africa.

For the three host nations, AFCON 2027 represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase their culture and passion for football on the continental stage.