TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027
AFCON 2027: qualifiers, groups and where to watch
The finals run from June 19, 2027 to July 17, 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Qualifying starts on September 21, 2026 with 48 teams in twelve groups.
Until the first qualifier
September 21, 2026
The first window opens on September 21, 2026. CAF has not released individual kick-off times.
What changed in July
CAF announced on July 22, 2026 that the finals expand from 24 teams to 28, split into 7 groups of four. The qualification mechanism that follows from this has not been published yet, so nobody can yet say how many teams go through from each qualifying group.
The group everyone will be watching
Group C is the only one where two sides arrive inside the world top 70: Ivory Coast (#31, 3×) and Ghana (#65, 4×). Between them they have won the tournament 7 times. They meet on matchday 1.
Everywhere else the draw left one clear favourite and a gap. Group A has Morocco 78 places clear of the next side, and the group with the most past champions on paper, Group J, has two of them ranked outside the top 110 — titles won in 1970 and 1962 do not decide matches in 2026.
Matches worth marking down
Two kinds of tie stand out in this draw. Meetings between former champions, and the widest mismatches on paper.
Champion against champion
The widest gaps
Where the tournament will be shown
Broadcast rights for AFCON 2027 are almost entirely unsold. Across the 28 countries we track, only 2 broadcasters have been publicly named for the 2027 edition, and both are in host countries. Everything else you will read online is last edition's rights list carried over without saying so. Our country pages mark which edition each channel actually holds.
The venues are not settled
CAF has not confirmed a single stadium or host city. Its own explainer from June 2026 says the venues are yet to be officially confirmed, and the February inspection found that none of the proposed grounds met the required standard. Lists published elsewhere are government proposals, not a ratified schedule.
Common questions
- When is AFCON 2027?
- From June 19, 2027 to July 17, 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
- How many teams are in AFCON 2027?
- 28 at the finals, up from 24 at previous editions. CAF announced the expansion on July 22, 2026.
- How many teams qualify from each group?
- That has not been decided. CAF announced the expansion to 28 teams without publishing the qualification mechanism that goes with it.
- When do the qualifiers start?
- On September 21, 2026, the first of three international windows.
- Who won the last edition?
- Morocco won AFCON 2025.
- Are the stadiums confirmed?
- No. CAF has not confirmed any stadium or host city.