The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations officially began on Tuesday after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the qualifying draw in Cairo, Egypt, ahead of the tournament to be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Defending champions Ivory Coast were drawn in Group C alongside fierce West African rivals Ghana, Gambia and Somalia in what is expected to be one of the standout groups of the qualifiers. Tournament hosts Morocco will lead Group A, where they face Gabon, Niger and Lesotho. Another competitive pool is Group D, featuring South Africa and Guinea, while Group J will see Senegal battle Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia.
CAF confirmed that the top two teams from each group will qualify for the 24-nation tournament. However, Groups D, H and L, which contain co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will operate under different qualification rules. Since the three nations automatically qualify as hosts, only the best-placed non-host team from those groups will earn a place at the finals. The qualification series will be played during three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027, with teams playing two matches per window. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, marking the first time the competition will be co-hosted by three East African nations.
