AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Full Matchday 1 and 2 schedule

CAF has confirmed all 48 fixtures scheduled between 24 September and 6 October 2026

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AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Full Matchday 1 and 2 schedule

The road to AFCON 2027 begins with 48 teams, 12 groups and several heavyweight clashes across the opening two matchdays.

The qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 will begin on 24 September 2026. According to the schedule published by CAF, 48 national teams have been divided into 12 groups of four, with the opening two matchdays running until 6 October. All kick-off times listed below are in GMT.

Matchday 1: Every fixture and kick-off time

Group A: Morocco v Gabon (25 September, 19:00); Niger v Lesotho (25 September, 15:00).
Group B: Egypt v Angola (25 September, 19:00); Malawi v South Sudan (25 September, 16:00).
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire v Ghana (24 September, 19:00); Gambia v Somalia (25 September, 16:00).
Group D: South Africa v Guinea (26 September, 16:00); Kenya v Eritrea (26 September, 13:00).
Group E: DR Congo v Equatorial Guinea (24 September, 16:00); Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe (24 September, 19:00).
Group F: Burkina Faso v Benin (25 September, 19:00); Mauritania v Central African Republic (24 September, 16:00).
Group G: Cameroon v Comoros (24 September, 19:00); Namibia v Congo (24 September, 13:00).
Group H: Tunisia v Uganda (24 September, 19:00); Libya v Botswana (24 September, 16:00).
Group I: Algeria v Zambia (25 September, 19:00); Togo v Burundi (25 September, 16:00).
Group J: Senegal v Mozambique (25 September, 19:00); Sudan v Ethiopia (25 September, 16:00).
Group K: Mali v Cape Verde (25 September, 19:00); Rwanda v Liberia (25 September, 16:00).
Group L: Nigeria v Madagascar (25 September, 16:00); Tanzania v Guinea-Bissau (25 September, 13:00).

Matchday 2: All 24 games on the programme

Group A: Gabon v Niger (29 September, 19:00); Lesotho v Morocco (29 September, 13:00).
Group B: Angola v Malawi (6 October, 19:00); South Sudan v Egypt (29 September, 13:00).
Group C: Ghana v Gambia (29 September, 16:00); Somalia v Côte d’Ivoire (29 September, 19:00).
Group D: Guinea v Kenya (1 October, 16:00); Eritrea v South Africa (30 September, 16:00).
Group E: Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone (28 September, 16:00); Zimbabwe v DR Congo (28 September, 16:00).
Group F: Benin v Mauritania (29 September, 19:00); Central African Republic v Burkina Faso (28 September, 16:00).
Group G: Comoros v Namibia (29 September, 11:00); Congo v Cameroon (29 September, 19:00).
Group H: Uganda v Libya (29 September, 16:00); Botswana v Tunisia (28 September, 19:00).
Group I: Zambia v Togo (29 September, 16:00); Burundi v Algeria (29 September, 13:00).
Group J: Mozambique v Sudan (29 September, 13:00); Ethiopia v Senegal (29 September, 13:00).
Group K: Cape Verde v Rwanda (29 September, 16:00); Liberia v Mali (29 September, 19:00).
Group L: Madagascar v Tanzania (29 September, 13:00); Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria (29 September, 16:00).

How will qualification for AFCON 2027 work?

The qualifiers will be played over six home-and-away matchdays. Following the opening double-header, the campaign will resume during the international window from 9 to 17 November 2026, before the final two rounds take place between 22 and 30 March 2027.

The top two teams in every group without a host nation will qualify. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, placed in Groups D, H and L respectively, are already assured of their places as co-hosts. In each of those three groups, only the highest-ranked non-host team will join them at the finals. The tournament will be staged across the three East African countries from 19 June to 17 July 2027.