CAF Confirms Tournament Dates and Qualifier Campaign for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the dates for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, in conjunction with the details regarding the qualification process for this prestigious continental tournament.
Set to unfold between June 19 and July 17, 2027, this tournament will see Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania co-hosting the event. This will be only the second occasion when the Africa Cup of Nations is held during this June-July window, following the 2019 edition. This adjustment is anticipated to alleviate concerns for European clubs that typically lose players to international duty in the middle of their competitive season.
Although CAF has yet to disclose the location of the opening match, the venue for the final remains one of the key pieces of information still to be unveiled.
The qualifiers will occur across three FIFA international windows, beginning later this year. Notably, the draw for the qualifiers is scheduled for May 19.
Matchdays 1 and 2 will take place within the window running from September 21 to October 6, while Matchdays 3 and 4 are slated for November 9-17. After a break, the concluding matchdays—5 and 6—will occur from March 22 to 30, 2027.
A total of 48 national teams will vie for a spot in the finals, divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group will secure their place in the 24-team finals. It’s important to note that the three co-hosting nations will automatically qualify for the tournament but will still participate in the qualifiers, allowing only one additional team from their groups to advance.
