2027 AFCON qualifiers: the full schedule for this Thursday

The 2027 AFCON qualifiers begin this Thursday, September 24, with eight fixtures, including the clashes between DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

The 2027 AFCON qualifiers are under way. The qualifying campaign begins this Thursday, September 24, 2026, and will feature 48 national teams divided into 12 groups of four. The opening round will be spread over three days, through Saturday, September 26, with several highly anticipated fixtures already on the schedule.

According to the schedule officially released by CAF, eight matches are set to be played this Thursday. DR Congo will notably host Equatorial Guinea in Kinshasa, while the clash between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana will be one of the main attractions of this opening round.

Eight fixtures to launch the qualifiers this Thursday

Namibia and Congo will kick off the campaign at 13:00 GMT. Three matches will follow at 16:00 GMT, before four fixtures get under way at 19:00 GMT. Cameroon will notably host Comoros, while Tunisia will begin against Uganda.

Thursday, September 24 schedule — GMT times:
Namibia - Congo: 13:00 GMT

DR Congo - Equatorial Guinea: 16:00 GMT

Mauritania - Central African Republic: 16:00 GMT

Libya - Botswana: 16:00 GMT

Côte d’Ivoire - Ghana: 19:00 GMT

Sierra Leone - Zimbabwe: 19:00 GMT

Cameroon - Comoros: 19:00 GMT

Tunisia - Uganda: 19:00 GMT

Renard and Desabre set the tone

In Bouaké, Hervé Renard will make his return to the Côte d’Ivoire bench against Ghana. The French coach refused to consider his team superior before kick-off: “The favourites are favourites on paper; it is on the pitch that qualification is won.” Renard had also stressed the discipline and quality of the Black Stars, asking his players to be ready from the outset.

The message is just as demanding in the DR Congo camp. Sébastien Desabre wants to avoid any complacency after the Leopards’ run at the 2026 World Cup: “In any case, we have to win.” The coach also called on his players to show humility against an Equatorial Guinea side he believes is capable of causing serious problems.

This opening round will set the tone for a campaign consisting of six matches per national team. The first two rounds will be played during this international window, before qualifying resumes in November and concludes in March 2027. The final tournament will be held in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

Read also: AFCON 2027: how to book a place in the final tournament?

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.