The road to CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 officially took shape on today in Cairo as the Confederation of African Football carried out the draw for the qualification phase ahead of Africa’s biggest tournament.
A total of 48 nations were divided into 12 groups of four, with teams now knowing exactly what stands between them and a place at the finals. The tournament itself will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17 2027.
The qualification system has one important element.
Although the 3 host nations will participate in the qualifiers, their groups follow a different format. In groups containing a co-host, Group D (Kenya), Group H (Uganda), and Group L (Tanzania), only the highest-ranked team outside the host nation will qualify, ensuring fairness across the competition.
Several interesting matchups immediately stood out after the draw, with traditional powers spread across the groups and some heavyweight clashes already on the horizon.
Here we are! 🌍
12 groups. One journey to the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2027. Who’s making it? pic.twitter.com/eV20yndZGl
— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) May 19, 2026
Official AFCON 2027 Qualification Groups
Group A: Lesotho – Niger – Gabon – Morocco
Group B: South Sudan – Malawi – Angola – Egypt
Group C: Somalia – Gambia – Ghana- Ivory Coast
Group D (includes host Kenya): Eritrea – Kenya – Guinea – South Africa
Group E: Zimbabwe – Sierra Leone – Equatorial Guinea – Democratic Republic of Congo
Group F: Central African Republic – Mauritania – Benin – Burkina Faso
Group G: Nigeria – Madagascar – Guinea-Bissau – Cameroon
Group H (includes host Uganda): Tunisia – Libya – Botswana – Uganda
Group I: Algeria – Zambia – Burundi – Rwanda
Group J: Senegal – Mozambique – Sudan – Ethiopia
Group K: Mali – Cape Verde – Congo – Chad
Group L (includes host Tanzania): Comoros – Togo – Liberia – Tanzania
Morocco’s group featuring Gabon, Niger and Lesotho appears manageable on paper, although qualifying campaigns have often produced surprises.
Elsewhere, Group C quickly caught attention with a meeting between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire while South Africa and Guinea could battle for control in a competitive Group D.
The qualification campaign will start in September 2026, with 6 matchdays spread across FIFA international windows before the final lineup for AFCON 2027 is confirmed.
Read also: Ebola Outbreak Raises Concerns Ahead of Pamoja AFCON 2027
