CAF announces qualifier-match dates and final for historic three-nation AFCON 2027 in East Africa
CAIRO, Egypt (NPA) — The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced June 19, 2027, as the kick-off date for the historic TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
CAF disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the final of the tournament will be played on July 17, 2027, while the host countries for the opening match and final will be announced later.
The continental football body said the 2027 edition would be the first AFCON tournament to be hosted by three countries, describing it as a landmark event expected to reach more than 400 million people across the East African region.
CAF also confirmed that the draw for the qualifiers will take place on May 19, 2026, following the completion of the preliminary round.
A total of 48 national teams, including co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will participate in the qualification series.
According to CAF, the teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the final tournament.
The qualifiers will be played during three FIFA international windows.
Matchdays one and two are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, 2026, while matchdays three and four will hold from November 9 to 17, 2026.
The final qualification fixtures, comprising matchdays five and six, are billed for March 22 to 30, 2027.
CAF noted that AFCON PAMOJA 2027 would mark the return of the tournament to the East African region for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.
The football governing body added that the tournament would build on the success recorded by recent editions, including AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023 and the upcoming AFCON Morocco 2025, which it said achieved record commercial revenue, sponsorship growth and global television audiences.
CAF said the achievements underscored the rising global competitiveness and popularity of African football.
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