AFCON 2027 qualifiers: schedule, groups and favourites

The road to AFCON 2027 is officially underway. Since 24 September 2026, 48 African nations have been battling for a place at the finals, which will be held from 19 June to 17 July 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It is a historic tournament: the first Africa Cup of Nations ever co-hosted by three countries.

Dates, format, groups, favourites and first results: here is everything you need to know about the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

Key dates

The qualifiers are played over three international windows, with two matchdays in each:

• Matchdays 1 and 2: 24 September to 6 October 2026
• Matchday 3: around 11 November 2026
• Matchday 4: around 15 November 2026
• Matchday 5: around 24 March 2027
• Matchday 6: around 28 March 2027

The November window is special: teams in the same group face each other twice in just a few days, home and away. It is often the window that decides who qualifies.

The finals kick off on 19 June 2027 and end on 17 July 2027.

How do the qualifiers work?

The format is straightforward:

• The 48 teams are split into 12 groups of four.
• Each team plays 6 matches, home and away against each of its three opponents.
• In most groups, the top two teams qualify for AFCON 2027.

There is one exception. As hosts, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania qualify automatically. In their groups, only the best of the three other teams will join them. In total, 24 teams will play at the finals.

The 12 qualifying groups

• Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
• Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
• Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia
• Cameroon, Congo, Namibia, Comoros
• Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
• Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
• Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
• DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea
• Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
• Nigeria, Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania (hosts)
• Tunisia, Libya, Botswana, Uganda (hosts)
• South Africa, Guinea, Eritrea, Kenya (hosts)

The big games to watch

• Ivory Coast vs Ghana: the great West African rivalry. The Elephants won the first leg in Bouaké, and the return match in March 2027 could decide the group.
• Nigeria's group with Tanzania: with only one spot available alongside the hosts, the Super Eagles cannot afford a slip against Madagascar or Guinea-Bissau.
• South Africa and Guinea: two strong sides chasing a single ticket in Kenya's group. Every point will count.
• Tunisia vs Libya: a heated North African derby in November.
• Egypt vs Angola: two regular AFCON participants meeting again.

Favourites and outsiders

The twelve top seeds start as favourites: Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso.

But recent tournaments have shown that the gap between Africa's giants and emerging nations keeps shrinking. Some teams are even dreaming of a first-ever qualification, such as the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan.

Special attention goes to the groups that include a host nation. For Nigeria, South Africa, Guinea and Tunisia, there is no room for error: finishing second behind a strong rival will not be enough.

First results

Matchday 1 has already produced some big talking points:

• Ivory Coast 2-0 Ghana: Hervé Renard's return to the Elephants' bench started with a statement win in Bouaké.
• Cameroon 3-1 Comoros: a solid start for the Indomitable Lions in Garoua.
• DR Congo 2-0 Equatorial Guinea: the Leopards controlled the game in Kinshasa.
• Namibia 1-0 Congo: an early surprise, with the Brave Warriors beating the Red Devils.
• Uganda 1-1 Tunisia: the hosts earned a valuable point away in Radès.

This article is updated after every matchday.

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