AFCON U-23 Qualifiers: Ghana among 48 nations set for draw as race to Egypt 2028 begins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the 48 nations that will take part in the draw for the qualification campaign for the 2028 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, with Ghana among the countries set to begin their journey towards the continental finals.

Host nation Egypt have automatically secured their place in the tournament but will also feature among the teams involved ahead of the draw, which marks the start of the road to the next edition of the competition.

The expanded field includes several of Africa's traditional football powers, among them Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa, all expected to be among the favourites to reach the finals.

Other nations confirmed for the qualifiers include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The qualification campaign will determine the teams that join hosts Egypt at the finals, which will serve as Africa's premier youth competition at under-23 level and a key platform for the continent's emerging stars.

For Ghana, the qualifiers present an opportunity to return to the forefront of youth football on the continent. The Black Meteors will be hoping to secure a place at the tournament and build on the country's rich history in age-group competitions.

The Africa U-23 Cup of Nations has become an increasingly important competition, with many of the continent's top young talents using the tournament as a springboard to professional careers in Europe and beyond.

With the participating nations now confirmed, attention will turn to the draw as teams prepare for the first step on the long road to the 2028 finals in Egypt.