The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers was conducted in Cairo on May 19, 2026. It established 12 qualification groups, each containing four teams vying for a spot in the finals scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda [1, 2].
The groups are: - Group A: Lesotho, Niger, Gabon, Morocco - Group B: South Sudan, Malawi, Angola, Egypt - Group C: Somalia, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast - Group D: Eritrea, Kenya, Guinea, South Africa - Group E: Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo - Group F: Central African Republic, Mauritania, Benin, Burkina Faso - Group G: Congo, Namibia, Comoros, Cameroon - Group H: Botswana, Libya, Uganda, Tunisia - Group I: Burundi, Togo, Zambia, Algeria - Group J: Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Senegal - Group K: Liberia, Rwanda, Cape Verde, Mali - Group L: Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Madagascar, Nigeria [1, 2].
Normally, the top two teams in each group will qualify for the 24-team finals. However, for Groups D, H, and L, which contain the three co-host nations, only the highest-placed team other than the hosts will qualify, ensuring automatic spots for Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as hosts [1, 2].
Qualifiers will be played in three match windows: September 21 to October 6, 2026; November 9 to 17, 2026; and March 22 to 30, 2027. Each team will play two matches during each window, facing group opponents both home and away over the course of the qualifying campaign [1, 2].
The final tournament will be held across the three co-host countries from June 19 to July 17, 2027 [1, 2]. Teams and fans will focus next on the opening qualifying matches set to begin September 21.