The first round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers came to a close on Saturday, September 26. A total of 24 matches were played over three days, from Thursday to Saturday. The matches were part of the qualifying process for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The qualifiers feature 48 participating teams divided into 12 groups.
In the first group, Morocco defeated Gabon 2-0, while Niger beat Lesotho 2-1. In the second group, which includes Egypt, the team played to a 0-0 draw with Angola, and Malawi won against South Sudan 2-1. Other notable results include Côte d'Ivoire's 2-0 win over Ghana and Gambia's 2-1 victory against Somalia.
The third group saw Côte d'Ivoire beat Ghana 2-0, while Gambia defeated Somalia 2-1. In the fourth group, South Africa won against Guinea 2-1, and Kenya played to a 1-1 draw with Eritrea. The fifth group witnessed the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone lost to Zimbabwe 2-3.
In the sixth group, Mauritania defeated Central Africa 3-1, and Burkina Faso played to a 1-1 draw with Benin. The seventh group saw Cameroon beat Comoros 3-1, and Namibia won against Congo 1-0. Tunisia played to a 1-1 draw with Uganda, and Libya drew 2-2 with Botswana in the eighth group.
The ninth group witnessed Algeria's 3-1 win over Zambia, and Togo defeated Burundi 1-0. In the tenth group, Sudan beat Ethiopia 1-0, and Mozambique played to a 1-1 draw with Senegal. The eleventh group saw Rwanda's 3-1 win over Liberia, and Mali defeated Cape Verde 3-1.
The twelfth group witnessed Nigeria's 2-1 win over Madagascar, and Tanzania lost to Guinea-Bissau 0-2. The second round of the qualifiers is set to begin on Monday, September 28, and will conclude on Tuesday, October 6. The qualifiers follow a system where teams play each other in a home-and-away format over six rounds.
The top two teams from nine groups will qualify directly for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The host countries, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, are guaranteed spots, and the best-ranked teams from the remaining groups will also qualify. The 12 groups for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are: Group 1 - Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho; Group 2 - Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan; Group 3 - Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia; Group 4 - South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea; Group 5 - DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe; Group 6 - Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central Africa; Group 7 - Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo; Group 8 - Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana; Group 9 - Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi; Group 10 - Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia; Group 11 - Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia; Group 12 - Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau.
Key points
- The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
- A total of 48 teams are participating in the qualifiers, divided into 12 groups.
- The top two teams from nine groups will qualify directly for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
