AFCON 2027 qualifying journey begins with preliminary round draw

By Neilley Claude EBESSA

Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon

The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations officially begins on Tuesday, when the preliminary round draw for the qualifiers takes place live on CAF TV.

The draw will be held at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT / 14:00 Cairo) and will determine the first match-ups on Africa’s journey to the continent’s flagship football tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Lowest-ranked teams enter early battle

A total of 12 teams, ranked lowest in the current FIFA standings, will contest the preliminary round, battling for six places in the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2027 Qualifiers. The winners will join 42 nations that have already secured automatic passage to the group phase.

The preliminary round teams have been divided into two pots based on ranking.

Pot 1 contains:
Lesotho, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, South Sudan and Mauritius.

Pot 2 includes:
Chad, São Tomé & Príncipe, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles and Eritrea.

Each team from Pot 1 will be drawn against a team from Pot 2, with the first leg hosted by the lower-ranked side, giving underdogs an early opportunity to claim an advantage.

High stakes from the start

The format ensures immediate jeopardy, with only the six aggregate winners advancing to the next stage. Those teams will qualify for the Group Stage Draw of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, where Africa’s established heavyweights await.

For many of the teams involved, the preliminary round represents not just a route into the qualifiers, but a rare opportunity to build momentum, confidence and competitive rhythm early in the campaign.

Eyes on East Africa 2027

AFCON 2027 will mark a historic moment as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania jointly host the tournament, the first time three East African nations have co-hosted the competition. Preparations are already under way, with qualification now officially set in motion.

As the draw takes place, Africa’s long journey toward continental glory begins — with dreams ignited, pressure immediate, and no margin for error from the very first tie.