AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Schedule, favourites, broadcasters… Everything you need to know

The group stage of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off this Thursday, September 24, 2026. Everything you need to know about this final qualifying sprint for AFCON 2027.

When and where will the AFCON 2027 finals take place?

The final phase of the 36th edition of AFCON 2027 will take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027, in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. For the first time, the tournament will be held in three countries.

This is only the second edition in 51 years to be hosted in the CECAFA region, after Ethiopia hosted the tournament in 1976.

What are the key dates for the qualifiers?

The qualifiers will be played from September 24 to March 28, 2027, according to the following schedule:

• Matchday 1: September 24 to 26, 2026

• Matchday 2: September 28 to October 6, 2026

• Matchday 3: November 11, 2026

• Matchday 4: November 15, 2026

• Matchday 5: March 24, 2027

• Matchday 6: March 28, 2027

What are the 12 qualifying groups?

Group A

• Morocco

• Gabon

• Niger

• Lesotho

Group B

• Egypt

• Angola

• Malawi

• South Sudan

Group C

• Côte d'Ivoire

• Ghana

• 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

What is the format of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers?

Forty-eight teams are divided into 12 groups of four. Each team will play six matches, home and away, against its group opponents.

The top two teams will qualify from each group, except for those containing the three host countries, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which have already qualified. In those three groups, only one team will qualify alongside the host for the final phase.

Where can you watch the qualifying matches live?

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will be broadcast by beIN Sports, the group that holds the broadcasting rights, including those for the final phase.

However, several other channels around the world will also broadcast the matches, notably local channels in the various countries, sometimes on their terrestrial networks.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations