AFCON 2027 qualifiers draw scheduled for May 19
The road to the next continental showpiece is beginning to take shape, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirming that the draw for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers will be held on 19 May 2026.
A total of 48 national teams are expected to enter the qualification race, all vying for a place at the tournament branded AFCON PAMOJA 2027.
The competition will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda—a historic joint bid that underlines the growing ambition of East African football.
According to the format released by CAF, the teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with only the top two sides from each group securing qualification to the finals.
The structure sets the stage for a fiercely competitive campaign, where consistency over multiple international windows will be critical.
The qualifiers themselves will be spread across three key periods on the African football calendar. The opening rounds are scheduled for September to October 2026, followed by another set of fixtures in November 2026.
The decisive phase will then take place in March 2027, when the final slots for the tournament will be determined.
With the draw date now confirmed, attention will turn to seedings, potential group dynamics, and the early narratives that often shape qualification journeys.
Traditional heavyweights and emerging nations alike will be watching closely, knowing that the margins for error are slim in a condensed group format.
As anticipation builds, CAF’s announcement effectively signals the start of another high-stakes journey across the continent—one that will culminate in a landmark edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa.