The AFCON 2027 qualifying draw was held in Cairo on 19 May 2026. 48 nations now know their path to the finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. This is the complete guide to all 12 groups, the seeding system that determined them, the qualification rules and what every group means for the teams involved.
How the Groups Were Decided
48 national teams were divided into 12 groups of four, with each group containing one team from each of the four seeding pots. The seeding pots were determined using FIFA rankings as of 1 April 2026.
| Pot | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 — Top seeds | Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa, Burkina Faso |
| Pot 2 | Guinea, Ghana, Gabon, Uganda, Angola, Benin, Zambia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Comoros, Cape Verde |
| Pot 3 | Kenya, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Rwanda, Libya, Togo, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Congo, Malawi, Central African Republic |
| Pot 4 | Eritrea, Niger, Ghana (note: in qualifying draw Ghana was Pot 2), Botswana, Liberia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Gambia, Lesotho |
Pot 1 protects the continent’s traditional powerhouses from direct clashes in the qualifying group stage. Continental giants such as Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria and Algeria lead the top tier.
Host Nation Rules
Special draw rules applied to all three host nations. None of the three host nations could be placed in the same qualifying group. Since Kenya and Tanzania are both in Pot 3, they were automatically assigned to different groups from the start. Uganda, placed in Pot 2, was moved to the next available group if the draw placed them into a group already containing Kenya or Tanzania.
The qualification rule for host nation groups differs from the rest: in groups containing a host nation, the host qualifies automatically. If the host finishes first, the second-placed team also progresses; however, if the host finishes outside the top two, only the group winner advances. This means only one spot is genuinely contested in Groups D, H and L — not two.
All 12 Qualifying Groups
Group A — Morocco’s Group
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | Pot 1 | Defending AFCON champions — overwhelming favourites |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | Pot 2 | Dangerous — will push for second place |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | Pot 3 | Lower ranked |
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | Pot 4 | Lowest ranked in group |
Morocco headline Group A and face Gabon, Niger and Lesotho. Morocco should top this group with ease. The real contest is for second — Gabon are the likeliest challengers. Prediction: Morocco, Gabon
Group B — Egypt vs Southern Africa
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | Pot 1 | Seven-time AFCON champions — Salah’s last qualifying campaign |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | Pot 2 | Competitive — have reached recent finals |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | Pot 3 | Improving but unlikely to challenge top two |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudan | Pot 4 | Lowest ranked |
Egypt have two trips to Southern Africa as they face Angola, Malawi and South Sudan in Group B. Egypt are strong favourites but away points and consistency are expected to be decisive — the Southern Africa trips are not straightforward. Prediction: Egypt, Angola
Group C — The West Africa Blockbuster
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | Pot 1 | AFCON 2023 champions — defending on neutral ground |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | Pot 2 | Black Stars seeking redemption after early exits |
| 🇬🇲 Gambia | Pot 3 | Spirited — caused upsets at AFCON 2021 |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | Pot 4 | Tournament debutants |
There is a West African flavour to Group C, which includes juggernauts Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana clash is one of the qualifying campaign’s most anticipated fixtures. Somalia make their qualifying debut. Prediction: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana
Group D — Kenya’s Home Campaign 🇰🇪
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | Pot 1 | Bafana Bafana — favourites for the available spot |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | Pot 2 | ⚠️ Note: Uganda is co-host — placed here before host reassignment |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | Pot 3 | ✅ Auto-qualified as co-host |
| 🇬🇳 Guinea | Pot 2 | Competitive West African side |
| 🇪🇷 Eritrea | Pot 4 | First-time qualifiers |
Kenya coach Benni McCarthy will come up against South Africa, for whom he still holds the international goal-scoring record with 31. With Kenya already through as hosts, only one spot is contested. South Africa are favourites. Prediction: Kenya ✅ + South Africa
Group E — DR Congo’s Route
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | Pot 1 | AFCON 2023 semi-finalists — strong favourites |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | Pot 2 | Dangerous upsetters — beat Algeria at AFCON 2021 |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | Pot 3 | Improving — competitive |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | Pot 4 | Warriors — inconsistent |
DR Congo are clear favourites but Equatorial Guinea are the most dangerous Pot 2 team in the draw — they have beaten Algeria and caused major upsets. Prediction: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea
Group F — Burkina Faso Lead
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | Pot 1 | Recent AFCON semi-finalists — strong side |
| 🇧🇯 Benin | Pot 2 | Consistent qualifier |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | Pot 3 | Rapidly improving — reached AFCON 2023 |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Burkina Faso should top this group. The fight for second between Benin and Mauritania is the most interesting contest — Mauritania are a genuine rising force in African football. Prediction: Burkina Faso, Mauritania
Group G — Cameroon’s Challenge
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | Pot 1 | Five-time champions — but inconsistent in recent editions |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | Pot 2 | Dark horses — reached Round of 16 at AFCON 2021 debut |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | Pot 3 | Competitive |
| 🇨🇬 Congo | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Cameroon are favourites but have been inconsistent. Comoros are the most dangerous dark horse in the entire qualifying draw — they famously reached the Round of 16 at their AFCON 2021 debut with 10 men. Do not rule them out. Prediction: Cameroon, Comoros
Group H — Uganda’s Home Campaign 🇺🇬
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | Pot 1 | Consistent AFCON qualifier — favourites for the available spot |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | Pot 2 | ✅ Auto-qualified as co-host |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | Pot 3 | Improving — competitive in AFCON qualifying |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Uganda are already through as co-hosts. Tunisia are the clear favourites for the one contested spot. Libya are improving and should not be dismissed. Prediction: Uganda ✅ + Tunisia
Group I — Algeria’s Redemption
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | Pot 1 | 2019 champions — desperate to return to the top |
| 🇿🇲 Zambia | Pot 2 | Competitive — have beaten big teams in qualifying before |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | Pot 3 | Experienced qualifiers |
| 🇧🇮 Burundi | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Algeria should qualify comfortably but after three disappointing AFCON campaigns, nothing is taken for granted. Zambia are the most credible threat in this group. Prediction: Algeria, Zambia
Group J — Senegal’s March
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | Pot 1 | Motivated by the 2025 final ruling — one of the best squads in Africa |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Pot 2 | Improving — reached AFCON 2023 |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | Pot 3 | Competitive |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Senegal should top Group J without difficulty. The motivation from the disputed 2025 final ruling will drive them through qualifying. Mozambique are the most likely second-place team. Prediction: Senegal, Mozambique
Group K — Mali’s Opportunity
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇱 Mali | Pot 1 | Consistent semi-finalists — golden generation at peak age |
| 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | Pot 2 | Consistent overachievers — always dangerous |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | Pot 3 | Rapidly improving |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | Pot 4 | Lower ranked |
Mali should top this group. Cape Verde are the toughest Pot 2 draw outside the top groups — they consistently outperform their FIFA ranking and caused genuine upsets at recent AFCONs. Rwanda are improving fast. Prediction: Mali, Cape Verde
Group L — Tanzania and the Super Eagles 🇹🇿
| Team | Pot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Pot 1 | Three-time champions — overwhelming favourites for the available spot |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | Pot 2 | The 2019 AFCON giant-killers — beat Nigeria 2-0 at AFCON 2019 |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | Pot 3 | ✅ Auto-qualified as lead co-host |
| 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | Pot 4 | Have beaten Nigeria in qualifying before |
The host exception means Tanzania is already through as co-host — but they still play in the qualifying campaign. Nigeria are clear favourites for the one contested spot. However the gap between traditional kings and rising underdogs has never been smaller — Madagascar beat Nigeria 2-0 at AFCON 2019 and Guinea-Bissau have taken points off Nigeria in qualifying before. This group will not be straightforward for the Super Eagles. Prediction: Tanzania ✅ + Nigeria
See our complete Group L guide and our Nigerian fans guide for the full Tanzania vs Nigeria story.
Qualification Rules — Exactly How It Works
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 12 groups of 4 teams — home and away, 6 matchdays total |
| Standard groups (A-C, E-G, I-K) | Top 2 teams qualify — 2 spots per group, 18 spots total |
| Host nation groups (D, H, L) | Host auto-qualifies — only 1 additional spot contested per group |
| Total qualifying spots | 21 (18 from standard groups + 3 from host groups) |
| Total tournament places | 24 (21 qualifiers + 3 co-hosts) |
| Tiebreaker | Points → goal difference → goals scored → head-to-head |
Qualifying Match Windows
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Matchdays 1 & 2 | 21 September – 6 October 2026 |
| Matchdays 3 & 4 | 9 – 17 November 2026 |
| Matchdays 5 & 6 | 22 – 30 March 2027 |
The full 24-team lineup for AFCON 2027 will be confirmed by the end of March 2027. Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are already confirmed as co-hosts.
The Most Interesting Groups
Group C — Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana: Two of Africa’s greatest football nations in the same qualifying group. The Black Stars of Ghana against the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire — a West African derby that will be one of the qualifying campaign’s defining fixtures.
Group L — Nigeria vs the world: With Tanzania already through, every team in Group L knows they are playing for one spot. Madagascar beat Nigeria 2-0 at AFCON 2019. Guinea-Bissau have taken points from the Super Eagles before. Nigeria cannot afford a single slip.
Group G — Cameroon vs Comoros: The five-time champions against the tournament’s most famous giant-killers. Comoros’s AFCON 2021 debut — reaching the Round of 16 with 10 men — is one of the tournament’s great stories. They can do it again.
Group I — Algeria’s pressure: After group stage exits in 2021 and 2023, Algeria face a qualifying campaign under significant pressure. Zambia are no pushover. Petkovic’s side must qualify or face a crisis of confidence heading into the biennial era’s final edition.
The Final Tournament Groups
The 12 qualifying groups determine who attends AFCON 2027 — but the final tournament groups (the six groups of four that will play the actual AFCON 2027 group stage) will be drawn separately once qualifying concludes in March 2027. Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will be seeded into separate groups as co-hosts. The final tournament draw is expected in April or May 2027.
This page will be updated immediately when the final tournament draw is made.
For the complete qualifying schedule see our qualifying schedule guide. For all 24 expected teams see our teams guide. For the full tournament guide see our dates and schedule guide. For Tanzania’s Group L in detail see our Group L guide.
Group draw confirmed by CAF on 19 May 2026 in Cairo, conducted by Max-Alain Gradel, William Troost-Ekong, Essam El Hadary and Trésor Mputu. All 12 groups sourced from CAF official announcement. Predictions represent editorial opinion only. Qualifying begins 21 September 2026.