CAF ANNOUNCES DATES, QUALIFIERS SCHEDULE FOR FIRST-EVER THREE-NATION AFCON 2027
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
The Confederation of African Football has announced the kick-off and final dates for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
“The opening match will be played on Saturday, 19 June 2027, and the final on Saturday, 17 July 2027,” CAF disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to the continental football body, the dates were approved by the FIFA Council at its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada, adding that the host country for both the opening match and final will be announced later.
The tournament will be the first AFCON to be hosted by three countries, a development CAF said presents an opportunity to expand the competition’s reach to over 400 million people in the East African region.
On the qualification series, CAF said the preliminary round has been completed, with the draw for the qualifiers set to take place on May 19, 2026.
A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, will participate in the qualifiers, with the draw determining the pathway to the final tournament.
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“The qualifiers will be played across the three FIFA international windows. Matchdays 1 and 2: 21 September to 6 October 2026.
“Matchdays 3 and 4: 9 to 17 November 2026; Matchdays 5 and 6: 22 to 30 March 2027,” the governing body stated.
CAF added that the 48 teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the final tournament.
The 2027 edition will also mark the return of the competition to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the tournament in 1976.
CAF noted that the tournament will build on the success of recent editions, including AFCON 2025 Morocco and AFCON 2023 Côte d’Ivoire, which recorded significant growth in commercial revenue, sponsorship, and global broadcast audiences, reflecting the increasing global appeal of African football.
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