The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign is set to kick off with Matchday 1 and 2 fixtures. Ghana will begin their campaign with a challenging away trip to Côte d'Ivoire, facing the Elephants in Bouaké on 24 September. The Black Stars will then return home to face The Gambia on 29 September as they aim to make an early push for qualification. A total of 48 nations will compete in the qualifying campaign, divided into 12 groups of four.
Several notable fixtures are scheduled for the opening round, including Morocco hosting Gabon at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdallah. Seven-time champions Egypt will entertain Angola at Cairo International Stadium, while Algeria takes on Zambia at the Stade Hocine Aït Ahmed in Tizi-Ouzou. Senegal will host Mozambique, and Mali will face Cape Verde in another highly anticipated match. The qualifiers will be played on a home-and-away basis across six matchdays.
The second round of matches begins on 28 September, with Central African Republic hosting Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea taking on Sierra Leone. Zimbabwe will face DR Congo, while Morocco travels to Lesotho and Algeria visits Burundi. Mozambique will host Sudan, and Senegal will face Ethiopia in a crucial encounter. The competition will resume during the FIFA international window from 9 to 17 November 2026.
The teams that finish first and second in groups without a co-host will qualify for the finals. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are already guaranteed places at the tournament as co-hosts, having been drawn in Groups D, H, and L respectively. The highest-ranked other team in each of those groups will earn the qualifying place. The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 finals will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
The tournament will mark the return of the Africa Cup of Nations to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades. A total of 48 nations will compete in the qualifying campaign, with the top teams advancing to the finals. Matchday 1 fixtures include Côte d'Ivoire vs Ghana, Morocco vs Gabon, and Egypt vs Angola. The second round of matches will be played between 28 September and 6 October 2026.
Key fixtures in Matchday 1 include Morocco vs Gabon, Egypt vs Angola, and Côte d'Ivoire vs Ghana. In Matchday 2, Ghana will face The Gambia at home, while Morocco travels to Lesotho and Algeria visits Burundi. The qualifiers will be played on a home-and-away basis, with the top teams advancing to the finals. The competition is expected to be highly competitive, with several top teams vying for a spot in the finals.
The final two rounds of the qualifiers will be played between 22 and 30 March 2027. The teams that finish first and second in their groups will advance to the finals, which will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The tournament promises to be an exciting event, with several top teams competing for the coveted title.
Key points
- Ghana will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a difficult away trip to Côte d'Ivoire on 24 September.
- The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign will be played on a home-and-away basis across six matchdays.
- Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are already guaranteed places at the tournament as co-hosts.
