By Awambeng Fuh
The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will officially begin in March 2026, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirming the full schedule for the qualification campaign.
Qualifying will open with a preliminary round played between 25 and 31 March 2026, featuring two-legged ties to determine the final teams that will progress to the group stage. The main phase of the qualifiers will then run later in the year.
The group stage, involving matchdays one to four, is scheduled for 21 September to 6 October 2026, followed by the decisive fifth and sixth matchdays from 9 to 17 November 2026.
In total, 48 teams will take part in the qualification process, all competing for places at the expanded continental tournament.
The AFCON finals will be staged from 19 June to 18 July 2027, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania jointly hosting the competition — the first time three East African nations have co-hosted Africa’s premier football event.
With dates now confirmed, attention turns to preparation, squad planning and the long qualifying road that will shape the continent’s next champions.
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