The draw for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers took place this Tuesday, May 19, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Federation in Cairo. This event marks the official kick-off of the 36th edition of this continental tournament.
The 2027 AFCON, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, will be held from June 19 to July 17, 2027. 48 national teams are divided into 12 groups of 4. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the final phase. However, an exception exists for groups containing the host countries. In these groups, only the best team other than the host country will qualify.
Cameroon, as part of Pot 1, was among the highest-ranked teams for the draw. The pots were determined based on the FIFA rankings. Cameroon was placed in Pot 1 along with Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa, and Burkina Faso.
The qualifiers will take place over three FIFA international windows. Matchdays 1 and 2 will be held from September 21 to October 6, 2026, followed by matchdays 3 and 4 from November 9 to 17, 2026, and finally, matchdays 5 and 6 from March 22 to 30, 2027.
Several iconic figures of African football participated in the draw, including Essam El Hadary, Max Gradel, William Troost-Ekong, and Trésor Mputu.
The competition promises to be intense, with several teams seeking to qualify for the first time, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan. The host nations, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, are automatically qualified but will also participate in the qualifiers.
The draw was broadcast live on several channels, including beIN Sports News, ON Sport, Arryadia HD1, CAF TV, and others. The teams now know their path to try and secure a place at the 2027 AFCON. The qualifiers promise exciting duels across the continent.
The final phase of the 2027 AFCON will take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
