The road to AFCON 2027 in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda starts on 21 September 2026. The qualification group stage will be played in September, October and November 2026, with a total of 24 teams qualifying to play in the final tournament, including automatically qualified hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. This is the complete guide to every group, every key fixture and every date you need to know.
Qualifying Schedule — Key Dates
The qualifiers will be played across three FIFA International Windows. Matchdays 1 and 2: 21 September to 6 October 2026. Matchdays 3 and 4: 9 to 17 November 2026. Matchdays 5 and 6: 22 to 30 March 2027.
| Round | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Matchdays 1 & 2 | 21 Sep – 6 Oct 2026 | All 12 groups play home and away |
| Matchdays 3 & 4 | 9–17 Nov 2026 | Second round of fixtures |
| Matchdays 5 & 6 | 22–30 Mar 2027 | Final qualifying round — decisive |
How Qualification Works
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the 24-team tournament, except in Groups D, H and L which include the three co-host nations. In those groups, only the highest-placed team apart from the hosts will secure qualification, as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda automatically qualify for the finals.
Each team plays home and away against the other three teams in their group — six matches total. Three points for a win, one for a draw, zero for a loss. The qualification format is straightforward — finish in the top two and you are going to East Africa.
All 12 Qualifying Groups
| Group | Teams | Key clash | Host nation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Morocco 🇲🇦, Gabon 🇬🇦, Niger 🇳🇪, Lesotho 🇱🇸 | Morocco dominant | — |
| B | Egypt 🇪🇬, Angola 🇦🇴, Malawi 🇲🇼, South Sudan 🇸🇸 | Egypt vs Angola | — |
| C | Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮, Ghana 🇬🇭, Gambia 🇬🇲, Somalia 🇸🇴 | Ivory Coast vs Ghana | — |
| D | South Africa 🇿🇦, Guinea 🇬🇳, Kenya 🇰🇪, Eritrea 🇪🇷 | SA vs Kenya | ✅ Kenya auto-qualified |
| E | DR Congo 🇨🇩, Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶, Sierra Leone 🇸🇱, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 | DR Congo vs Eq. Guinea | — |
| F | Burkina Faso 🇧🇫, Benin 🇧🇯, Mauritania 🇲🇷, Central African Republic 🇨🇫 | Burkina vs Mauritania | — |
| G | Cameroon 🇨🇲, Comoros 🇰🇲, Namibia 🇳🇦, Congo 🇨🇬 | Cameroon dominant | — |
| H | Tunisia 🇹🇳, Uganda 🇺🇬, Libya 🇱🇾, Botswana 🇧🇼 | Tunisia vs Libya | ✅ Uganda auto-qualified |
| I | Algeria 🇩🇿, Zambia 🇿🇲, Togo 🇹🇬, Burundi 🇧🇮 | Algeria dominant | — |
| J | Senegal 🇸🇳, Mozambique 🇲🇿, Sudan 🇸🇩, Ethiopia 🇪🇹 | Senegal dominant | — |
| K | Mali 🇲🇱, Cape Verde 🇨🇻, Rwanda 🇷🇼, Liberia 🇱🇷 | Mali vs Cape Verde | — |
| L 🇹🇿 | Nigeria 🇳🇬, Tanzania 🇹🇿, Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼, Madagascar 🇲🇬 | Nigeria vs Tanzania | ✅ Tanzania auto-qualified |
The Groups That Matter Most
Group C — Ivory Coast vs Ghana 🇨🇮🇬🇭
A heavyweight West African showdown between Ivory Coast and Ghana in Group C is the most anticipated non-host group in the entire draw. Two of Africa’s most successful AFCON nations in the same group with Gambia and Somalia alongside them. The double header between the defending champions and the Black Stars will be the standout qualifier fixture of the entire campaign.
Group L — Nigeria vs Tanzania 🇳🇬🇹🇿
The most consequential group for AFCON 2027 fans in Tanzania. Tanzania qualify automatically as co-hosts but their home qualifying matches at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium — particularly against Nigeria on 24 June 2027 — will be the most anticipated fixtures in Tanzanian football history. In Group L only the highest-placed team apart from Tanzania will secure qualification — making this a three-way battle between Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar for a single spot.
See our complete Group L guide and our Tanzania vs Nigeria preview for the full breakdown.
Group J — Senegal’s Path 🇸🇳
Senegal — one of the tournament favourites — face Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in what looks like a straightforward group. Senegal should qualify comfortably but the second qualifying spot between Mozambique and Ethiopia will be closely contested.
Group D — Kenya’s Home Campaign 🇰🇪
Kenya qualify automatically as co-hosts but their qualifying campaign against South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea will be used to build momentum ahead of hosting AFCON 2027. South Africa are the strong favourites for the qualifying spot alongside Kenya.
Notable Absentees — Who Might Not Make It
Emerging sides like Gambia, Comoros and Cape Verde are looking to upset the established order. Several nations who have featured at recent AFCONs face genuinely difficult paths:
- Ghana 🇬🇭 — drawn with Ivory Coast in Group C. The Black Stars have struggled in recent qualifying campaigns. A group exit is possible.
- Cameroon 🇨🇲 — five-time AFCON champions but facing Comoros, Namibia and Congo. Should qualify but Comoros have caused upsets before.
- Tunisia 🇹🇳 — in Group H with Uganda, Libya and Botswana. Tunisia should qualify but Libya are improving rapidly.
The Preliminary Round — What Already Happened
The qualification began with the preliminary round which ran from 25 to 31 March 2026. Six preliminary round winners joined the 42 directly-entered teams for the group stage draw in Cairo on 19 May 2026. The preliminary round determined which lower-ranked CAF nations entered the main qualifying groups.
The Seedings — How the Draw Was Made
Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso were placed in Pot 1, making them the top seeds for the draw. The four pots were based on the April 2026 FIFA World Rankings, ensuring the strongest nations were spread across the 12 groups rather than meeting each other in qualifying.
AFCON 2027 — The Last Odd-Year Edition
AFCON 2027 will be the last one to be held in odd-numbered years, as CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would become a quadrennial tournament from 2028 onwards. This makes AFCON 2027 historically significant beyond its East African setting — it is the final edition of the biennial format that has defined African football since 1957. The next AFCON after 2027 will be in 2028, moving to a four-year cycle aligned with the FIFA World Cup.
Taifa Stars Qualifying Campaign — What to Watch
Tanzania’s qualifying matches at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam will be among the most in-demand tickets in Tanzanian football before the tournament even begins. Dates to mark in your calendar:
| Window | Dates | Tanzania fixtures |
|---|---|---|
| Matchdays 1 & 2 | 21 Sep – 6 Oct 2026 | Home and away vs Group L opponents |
| Matchdays 3 & 4 | 9–17 Nov 2026 | Second round — Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar |
| Matchdays 5 & 6 | 22–30 Mar 2027 | Final qualifying matches |
Specific match dates and kick-off times for Tanzania home fixtures will be confirmed by the Tanzania Football Federation — follow @TFF_Tz on Twitter/X for the official announcement. See our Taifa Stars guide for the full squad and coach profile.
When Will We Know Who Qualified?
The final qualifying matchdays run from 22 to 30 March 2027 — just 11 weeks before the tournament opens on 19 June 2027. The complete 24-team field for AFCON 2027 will be confirmed by the end of March 2027. From that point the group stage draw for the final tournament will be held and the full match schedule confirmed.
For the complete AFCON 2027 tournament guide including fixtures, tickets and host cities visit our fixtures page. For Tanzania’s Group L breakdown see our Group L guide. For ticket information visit our tickets guide.
Qualifying schedule confirmed by CAF official announcement May 2026. Group draw took place 19 May 2026 in Cairo, Egypt. Individual match dates within each window to be confirmed by CAF. This page will be updated when specific fixture dates are announced.