The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers took place on Tuesday, revealing the 12 groups that will determine the path to the final tournament. Some 48 African nations are competing, including the three host countries — Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda — who have already qualified automatically.
Four legends of continental football officiated at the ceremony: Ivorian Max-Alain Gradel , Nigerian William Troost-Ekong , Egyptian Essam El Hadary and Congolese Trésor Mputu .
The groups:
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Ivory Coast, 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
Format and calendar
The qualifiers will be played over three FIFA windows , from September 2026 to March 2027. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the final tournament. In the host group groups (D, H, and L), only one additional qualifying spot is available.
See you on June 19, 2027 for the kick-off of the 2027 AFCON , with the final scheduled for July 17, 2027 .
