CAF sets date for CAN 2027 qualifiers draw

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Monday, November 17, 2025, the date for the draw for the qualifiers of the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations 2027, which will take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

According to the official CAF statement, the draw ceremony will be held on December 19 at 18:00 GMT.

The official tournament calendar has also been released: CAN 2027 will run from June 19 to July 18, 2027.

Qualifying and playoff format

The official qualification format has been confirmed by CAF:

• There will be 13 groups in the qualifiers.
• The host nations (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) automatically qualify for the final tournament.
• The winners of the 13 groups, as well as the three best runners-up, will qualify directly for the final stage.
• The other second-placed teams will face off in a playoff round to determine the remaining spots.

The qualifying matches are scheduled between March and October 2026, with the playoffs taking place in November 2026.

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Mohamed Rek |

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Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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African Nations Championship