AFCON 2027 qualifying draw set to be held on Tuesday in Cairo

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the official draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, at 12:00 GMT, setting in motion the race to Africa’s biggest football tournament.

The ceremony will take place at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, where 48 national teams will discover their group-stage opponents in the campaign to reach the finals.

The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with the opening match scheduled for 19 June 2027 and the final set for 17 July 2027.

CAF has confirmed that the qualification phase will feature 48 teams, including the three host nations, competing for 24 available places at the expanded finals.

The qualifiers will be played across three international windows in line with the FIFA calendar: matchdays one and two will run from 21 September to 6 October 2026, matchdays three and four from 9 to 17 November 2026, and matchdays five and six from 22 to 30 March 2027.

Teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group securing automatic qualification. Groups containing one of the host nations will allow an additional team to progress to ensure representation at the finals.

The draw is expected to provide the first clear picture of the qualification pathway as nations across the continent begin their preparations for the 2027 continental showpiece.