Africa’s road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is entering its next major phase as 48 teams prepare for a qualifying campaign that will determine the field for the historic East African finals.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first time the tournament will be staged across the three East African countries.
Twelve groups, one continental prize
The qualifying group stage features 12 groups of four teams. Morocco will face Gabon, Niger and Lesotho in Group A, while Egypt take on Angola, Malawi and South Sudan.
One of the most closely watched groups for West African audiences will be Group C, where Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia have been drawn together.
Other notable groups include Cameroon with Comoros, Namibia and Congo; Algeria with Zambia, Togo and Burundi; and Senegal with Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Nigeria will compete against Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in Group L.
A different qualification equation for the hosts
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are automatically qualified as tournament hosts. Their participation in the qualifying groups, however, creates a different competitive equation.
According to CAF’s qualification rules, only the highest-ranked non-host team in each of the groups containing a host nation will qualify for the finals. In the remaining groups, the teams finishing first and second will qualify directly.
The East African countdown
The qualification campaign is also part of a much broader build-up toward PAMOJA 2027. For Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the tournament represents a major test of sporting infrastructure, cross-border coordination and the capacity to deliver one of the continent’s largest sporting events.
For the rest of Africa’s national teams, the focus is more immediate. Six matchdays will determine which sides join the hosts at the finals, with every point carrying added significance in a qualification format that offers little room for recovery.
As the campaign begins, the road to East Africa is no longer simply a future tournament story. For 48 teams across the continent, the race for one of African football’s most important prizes is now firmly underway.
Source: CAF.
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