The Confederation of African Football has officially unveiled the timeline for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, marking a historic edition of the continent’s biggest football competition.
According to CAF, the tournament will kick off on Saturday, June 19, 2027, and conclude with the final on Saturday, July 17, 2027. The competition will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, making it the first time three nations will co host the event.
Branded PAMOJA 2027, the tournament is expected to unite a vast aunce across East Africa, with over 400 million people anticipated to be part of the experience. CAF noted that details regarding which country will stage the opening match and the final will be announced later.
In preparation for the tournament, CAF also outlined the qualification process. A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will compete in the qualifiers. These teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the main tournament.
The qualifiers will take place during designated FIFA international windows. Matchdays 1 and 2 are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, 2026, followed by Matchdays 3 and 4 from November 9 to 17, 2026. The final set of qualifiers, Matchdays 5 and 6, will be played between March 22 and 30, 2027.
The main qualifiers draw is set for May 19, 2026, setting the stage for what promises to be a highly competitive road to the tournament.
AFCON 2027 is expected to deliver not only thrilling football action but also strengthen regional collaboration and showcase East Africa’s growing capacity to host major international sporting events.
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