The countdown to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations has officially begun, with exactly one year remaining until East Africa stages one of the most significant tournaments in the history of African football.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that the competition will kick off on June 19, 2027 and conclude with the final on July 17, 2027, marking the start of the final phase of preparations for a groundbreaking edition of the continent’s flagship tournament.
For the first time in AFCON history, three countries Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the competition, a move that is expected to bring the tournament to more than 400 million people across the East African region.
CAF is still consulting with the three host nations before deciding which country will stage the opening ceremony, the third-place match and the final.
The 2027 edition will be the 36th Africa Cup of Nations and carries added significance beyond the football itself. It will mark the competition’s return to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades, with the region last hosting the tournament when Ethiopia staged AFCON in 1976.
The tournament also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Africa Cup of Nations, further underlining its place as a landmark event for African football.
Preparations are already well underway across the three host nations, with matches expected to be played across multiple cities and newly upgraded stadiums in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Among the key venues earmarked for the tournament are Nairobi’s Talanta Sports Stadium, Moi International Sports Centre and Nyayo National Stadium, alongside Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam and Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
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Attention will soon shift to qualification as countries begin their journey towards the finals.
Following the completion of the preliminary round, CAF has scheduled the qualifying draw for May 19, 2026, with 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, set to participate.
The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group securing places at the final tournament.
The full draw for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers:
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia
Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo
Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau
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Qualification matches will be played across three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027.
The qualifying schedule will see Matchdays One and Two played between September 21 and October 6, 2026. Matchdays Three and Four will follow from November 9 to November 17, before the final round of fixtures takes place between March 22 and March 30, 2027.
