CAF confirms 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification roadmap

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the qualification roadmap for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Download our Mozzart Sport App for more news

CAF also confirmed that the tournament will run from Saturday, 19 June to Saturday, 17 July 2027, as the three East African nations prepare to host the continent’s premier football competition for the first time.

The tournament will only be the second AFCON edition to take place in the June-July window after the 2019 finals in Egypt, a schedule that is expected to ease concerns from European clubs since players will not leave in the middle of their domestic seasons.

However, CAF is yet to reveal which country will host the opening match and the final, with focus now expected to shift to infrastructure readiness across the three host nations.

STARS ABROAD: Harambee Stars defender suffers heartbreak as Wrexham miss playoff slot

The qualification draw will take place on Tuesday, 19 May, before the campaign kicks off later this year across three FIFA international windows.

Matchdays One and Two will be played between Monday, 21 September, and Tuesday, 6 October, before teams return for Matchdays Three and Four during the Monday, 9 to Tuesday, 17 November, FIFA window.

The qualifiers will then take a break before the final round of matches. Matchdays Five and Six are played between Monday, 22 March, and Tuesday, 30 March 2027.

A total of 48 nations, including hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will participate in the qualifiers. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from every pool qualifying for the 24-team tournament.

Despite already securing automatic qualification as hosts, the three East African nations will still take part in the qualifiers, although only one additional team from each of their groups will qualify for the finals.

AFCON 2027 will see the competition return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the tournament in 1976.

Bandari ruthlessly dethrone Mfalme FC to sail into Mozzart Bet Cup semis

CAF further noted that recent editions of AFCON have attracted stronger global audiences, increased sponsorship interest and improved commercial revenue, with the continental body hopeful that the East African edition will push the competition to even greater heights.

The tournament is also expected to boost the profile of football in the CECAFA region while leaving behind major infrastructure and economic benefits across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.