U23 AFCON: Full results of the qualifying draw

CAF has mapped out the path for the 42 teams taking part in the qualifiers for the 2027 U23 AFCON, to be held in Egypt

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U23 AFCON: Full results of the qualifying draw

كان تحت 23 سنة: النتائج الكاملة لقرعة التصفيات

The contenders for the 2027 U23 AFCON now know their journey. The Confederation of African Football conducted the qualifying draw on Tuesday, August 25, at its headquarters in Egypt. The qualifiers will unfold over three rounds. In total, 43 nations are participating, but Egypt is automatically qualified as the host nation. The other 42 teams will battle it out for the remaining seven spots.

The 14 matchups of the first round

Twenty-eight teams will enter the fray in the first round, which will be played over two legs. The 14 winners will then meet the 14 teams exempted from the opening stage. The draw, conducted based on geographic criteria, produced the following fixtures:

Sierra Leone vs Burkina Faso
Mauritania vs DR Congo
São Tomé and Príncipe vs Equatorial Guinea
Togo vs Libya
Tunisia vs Benin
Kenya vs Tanzania
Djibouti vs South Sudan
Ethiopia vs Uganda
Rwanda vs Sudan
Comoros vs Madagascar
Angola vs Namibia
Seychelles vs Botswana
Malawi vs Eswatini
Zimbabwe vs Mauritius

The complete second round bracket

The first legs of the second round will take place on November 9, 2026, with return fixtures on November 17. Here are the 14 ties determined by the draw:

Winner of Sierra Leone–Burkina Faso vs Zambia
Winner of Mauritania–DR Congo vs Nigeria
Winner of São Tomé and Príncipe–Equatorial Guinea vs Niger
Winner of Togo–Libya vs Ghana
Winner of Tunisia–Benin vs Gabon
Winner of Kenya–Tanzania vs Ivory Coast
Winner of Djibouti–South Sudan vs Senegal
Winner of Ethiopia–Uganda vs Morocco
Winner of Rwanda–Sudan vs Cameroon
Winner of Comoros–Madagascar vs South Africa
Winner of Angola–Namibia vs Congo
Winner of Seychelles–Botswana vs Guinea
Winner of Malawi–Eswatini vs Algeria
Winner of Zimbabwe–Mauritius vs Mali

Seven tickets for the finals in Egypt

The 14 teams that emerge from the second round will face off in a third and final two-legged tie. The seven winners will join Egypt to make up the eight-team lineup for the final tournament, scheduled for November 2027. The exact dates for the first and third rounds, as well as the draw for the last stage, are still to be officially confirmed.

CAF has confirmed that the tournament in Egypt will also serve as the African qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Two direct spots have been allocated to the continent for the men's tournament, but the precise mechanism for their distribution is yet to be detailed in the official regulations.

Morocco will enter this edition as defending champions. In 2023, the Atlas Cubs defeated Egypt in extra time (2-1) in the final to claim their first U23 AFCON crown.