South Africa — AFCON 2027
Group D is where South Africa begin qualifying for AFCON 2027. They are ranked 54 worldwide.
#54
D
1
12
FIFA ranking as of July 20, 2026.
Group D and how it looks
No side here is ranked inside the world top 70, and only 27 places separate South Africa from Guinea. This one is open.
| Group D | FIFA ranking | Head coach |
|---|---|---|
 South Africa
|
#54 | Position vacant |
| #81 | Paulo Duarte | |
| #109 | Benni McCarthy | |
| #184 | Hesham Yakan |
Record at the Africa Cup of Nations
The trophy has gone to South Africa on 1 occasions: 1996.
Qualifying fixtures
| Matchday | Matches | Match window | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 21 – October 6, 2026 | to be confirmed | |
| 2 | September 21 – October 6, 2026 | to be confirmed | |
| 3 | November 9 – November 17, 2026 | to be confirmed | |
| 4 | November 9 – November 17, 2026 | to be confirmed | |
| 5 | March 22 – March 30, 2027 | to be confirmed | |
| 6 | March 22 – March 30, 2027 | to be confirmed |
CAF has published the pairings and the international windows, but not the individual kick-off dates and times. Those are shown as to be confirmed rather than guessed.
Watching South Africa at home
Broadcast listings for this country, including which edition each channel actually holds rights to, are on the dedicated page.
Common questions
- Who does South Africa play in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers?
- Group D, against Guinea (#81), Kenya (#109), Eritrea (#184). Six matches in total, three at home and three away, spread across three international windows: September 21 – October 6, 2026, November 9 – November 17, 2026 and March 22 – March 30, 2027. CAF has published the pairings and the windows, but neither the individual dates nor the kick-off times.
- What does South Africa need to qualify for AFCON 2027?
- Nobody can say yet. On July 22, 2026 CAF grew the finals from 24 teams to 28 without publishing the qualification mechanism that has to follow. The old arithmetic — two through from each group — no longer adds up with four extra places. We have left the number blank rather than guess it.
- Why does the ranking shown here not match the draw pots?
- The draw on May 19, 2026 used the FIFA ranking as it stood in April 2026. The figures on this page come from the list published on July 20, 2026, and teams have moved between those two dates. South Africa currently sits at #54. The next FIFA update is due on October 7, 2026, during the first qualifying window.
- Where can I watch South Africa?
- No broadcaster is confirmed for 2027 in this country yet. Rights to the 2027 edition are almost entirely unsold: the lists published elsewhere describe the 2025 tournament in Morocco. Our country pages state which edition each broadcaster is confirmed for.