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AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Full Groups, Fixtures, Schedule and Qualification Rules
The road to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 has officially been mapped out, with 48 national teams drawn into 12 groups for the qualifying tournament.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with the three host nations automatically qualified for the finals.
However, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will still participate in the qualifying matches. Their presence affects the qualification format in Groups D, H and L, where only one additional team can qualify alongside each host nation.
AFCON 2027 Qualifying Groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho |
| Group B | Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan |
| Group C | Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, The 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 |
How AFCON 2027 Qualification Works
The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
Teams will play six matches during the qualifying campaign, with each country scheduled to play three home matches and three away matches.
In the groups without a host nation, the top two teams qualify for the 2027 AFCON finals.
However, Groups D, H and L have a different qualification arrangement because they contain the three automatically qualified host nations.
READ ALSO: CAF Confirms Dates for 2027 AFCON as East Africa Set for Historic Joint Hosting
- Group D: Kenya is already qualified, so the highest-ranked non-Kenyan team qualifies.
- Group H: Uganda is already qualified, so the highest-ranked non-Ugandan team qualifies.
- Group L: Tanzania is already qualified, so the highest-ranked non-Tanzanian team qualifies.
AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Schedule
| Matchdays | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchdays 1 and 2 | September 24 – October 6, 2026 |
| Matchdays 3 and 4 | November 9 – 17, 2026 |
| Matchdays 5 and 6 | March 22 – 30, 2027 |
| AFCON 2027 Finals | June 19 – July 17, 2027 |
AFCON 2027 Matchday 1 Fixtures
The opening round of qualifying fixtures begins on September 24, 2026.
Thursday, September 24
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| G | Namibia vs Congo | 1:00pm |
| E | DR Congo vs Equatorial Guinea | 4:00pm |
| F | Mauritania vs Central African Republic | 4:00pm |
| H | Libya vs Botswana | 4:00pm |
| C | Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana | 7:00pm |
| E | Sierra Leone vs Zimbabwe | 7:00pm |
| G | Cameroon vs Comoros | 7:00pm |
| H | Tunisia vs Uganda | 7:00pm |
Friday, September 25
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| L | Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau | 1:00pm |
| A | Niger vs Lesotho | 3:00pm |
| B | Malawi vs South Sudan | 4:00pm |
| C | The Gambia vs Somalia | 4:00pm |
| I | Togo vs Burundi | 4:00pm |
| J | Sudan vs Ethiopia | 4:00pm |
| K | Rwanda vs Liberia | 4:00pm |
| L | Nigeria vs Madagascar | 4:00pm |
| A | Morocco vs Gabon | 7:00pm |
| B | Egypt vs Angola | 7:00pm |
| F | Burkina Faso vs Benin | 7:00pm |
| I | Algeria vs Zambia | 7:00pm |
| J | Senegal vs Mozambique | 7:00pm |
| K | Mali vs Cape Verde | 7:00pm |
Saturday, September 26
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| D | Kenya vs Eritrea | 1:00pm |
| D | South Africa vs Guinea | 4:00pm |
AFCON 2027 Matchday 2 Fixtures
Monday, September 28
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| E | Equatorial Guinea vs Sierra Leone | 4:00pm |
| E | Zimbabwe vs DR Congo | 4:00pm |
| F | Central African Republic vs Burkina Faso | 4:00pm |
| H | Botswana vs Tunisia | 7:00pm |
Tuesday, September 29
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Lesotho vs Morocco | 1:00pm |
| B | South Sudan vs Egypt | 1:00pm |
| J | Mozambique vs Sudan | 1:00pm |
| J | Ethiopia vs Senegal | 1:00pm |
| L | Madagascar vs Tanzania | 1:00pm |
| C | Ghana vs The Gambia | 4:00pm |
| I | Zambia vs Togo | 4:00pm |
| K | Cape Verde vs Rwanda | 4:00pm |
| H | Uganda vs Libya | 4:00pm |
| F | Benin vs Mauritania | 7:00pm |
| C | Somalia vs Côte d’Ivoire | 7:00pm |
| G | Congo vs Cameroon | 7:00pm |
| G | Comoros vs Namibia | 11:00am |
| I | Burundi vs Algeria | 1:00pm |
| K | Liberia vs Mali | 7:00pm |
| L | Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria | 4:00pm |
| A | Gabon vs Niger | 7:00pm |
Wednesday, September 30
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| D | Eritrea vs South Africa | 4:00pm |
Thursday, October 1
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| D | Guinea vs Kenya | 4:00pm |
Tuesday, October 6
| Group | Fixture | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| B | Angola vs Malawi | 7:00pm |
Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 Qualifying Fixtures
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-hosts Tanzania.
Because Tanzania is automatically qualified for the 2027 tournament, Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will compete for the remaining qualification place in the group.
| Matchday | Fixture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | Nigeria vs Madagascar | September 25, 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria | September 29, 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | Tanzania vs Nigeria | November 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | Madagascar vs Nigeria | November 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | Nigeria vs Tanzania | March 2027 |
| Matchday 6 | Nigeria vs Guinea-Bissau | March 2027 |
Group L Table Before the Qualifiers
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Madagascar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Guinea-Bissau | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Note: Tanzania is already qualified for the AFCON 2027 finals as a co-host. The qualifying table will be updated after each round of matches.
When Will the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Be Played?
The qualifying campaign will be played across three FIFA international windows.
- Matchdays 1–2: September 24 to October 6, 2026
- Matchdays 3–4: November 9 to 17, 2026
- Matchdays 5–6: March 22 to 30, 2027
When Is AFCON 2027?
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 will take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The tournament will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
AFCON 2027 Host Countries
- 🇰🇪 Kenya
- 🇹🇿 Tanzania
- 🇺🇬 Uganda
The three host nations have automatic places at the finals but will participate in the qualifying competition as part of the CAF qualification programme.
Key Dates for Nigerian Football Fans
- September 25, 2026: Nigeria vs Madagascar
- September 29, 2026: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria
- November 2026: Nigeria’s Matchdays 3 and 4
- March 2027: Nigeria’s final two qualifying matches
- June 19, 2027: AFCON 2027 opening match
- July 17, 2027: AFCON 2027 final
Bottom Line
The AFCON 2027 qualifiers have produced 12 groups featuring some of Africa’s biggest football nations, including Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa.
For Nigeria, the qualification campaign begins with a home meeting against Madagascar on September 25, before the Super Eagles travel to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
With Tanzania already assured of a place at the finals as a co-host, Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will compete for the remaining qualifying place in Group L.
CAF’s official competition information should be checked for any subsequent changes to kick-off times, venues or fixture dates.
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