AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Group Match & Teams

The journey for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 kicks off this week as 48 national teams will compete in the group stage of this AFCON in 12 different groups. The first match day will be held from September 24 to September 26, 2026, while Match Day 2 will take place until October 6.

This AFCON 2027 will be held in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 till July 17, 2027. The three hosts have already qualified for this competition, but will participate in the qualifiers too.

Full Groups for Qualification to AFCON 2027

All 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups with four teams each:

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

In groups where there is no co-host, the first two teams qualify for AFCON 2027. For Group D, Group H and Group L, the team hosting the tournament is already qualified, and only the highest-ranked team from among the remaining three teams qualifies for AFCON 2027.

Fixtures for First Rounds: September 24-26

Eight matches will take place on September 24 in the first round, starting with Namibia v Congo at 13:00 GMT. DR Congo take on Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania v Central African Republic at 16:00, followed by Côte d’Ivoire v Ghana, Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe, Cameroon v Comoros and Tunisia v Uganda at 19:00 GMT.

The next day is dedicated to 14 more matches such as Morocco v Gabon, Egypt v Angola, Algeria v Zambia, Senegal v Mozambique, Mali v Cape Verde and Nigeria v Madagascar.

The first round closes on Saturday with Kenya v Eritrea and South Africa v Guinea.

Teams and Matches to Follow

One of the most watched opening matches will be between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This team has started its new cycle under the returning coach Hervé Renard, and Ghana brought back Mohammed Kudus, who was not part of the squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Another important match is between Morocco and Gabon, when Mohamed Ouahbi takes the helm of the Atlas Lions. Some young talent joined the Moroccan squad, like Abdellah Ouazane, Soufian El Faouzi, and Yassir Zabiri.

South Africa vs Guinea is the first competitive match for Pitso Mosimane after his return for the third time as Bafana Bafana coach. The team from Guinea will have the services of Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.

Nigeria vs Madagascar will draw attention as well, mostly due to Nigeria’s absence of injured striker Victor Osimhen. In another Group L match, Tanzania, which qualifies as a co-host, will play against Guinea-Bissau.

What Happens After Matchday 1?

Matchday 2 takes place between September 28 and October 6. The next qualifying window is set to be between November 9 and 17, while the final two matchdays will occur between March 22 and 30, 2027.

Conclusion

AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign starts with 48 teams trying to qualify for an unprecedented competition that will see Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda host the event. With fixtures like Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana, Morocco vs Gabon, and South Africa vs Guinea, the opening window sets Africa’s established teams straight into action.