Confederation of African Football Reveals Schedule for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and Preliminary Matches

The Confederation of African Football, or CAF, has formally declared the commencement and conclusion dates for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027, a historic tournament to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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According to CAF's official statement, the inaugural match of the tournament is set to occur on Saturday, 19 June 2027, and the final match is slated for Saturday, 17 July 2027.

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CAF has indicated that the specific host countries for the opening and final matches will be disclosed at a later time.

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The tournament, dubbed "PAMOJA 2027," marks a significant milestone in African football, as it will be the first instance of the Africa Cup of Nations being co-hosted by three nations.

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This initiative is anticipated to provide CAF with a unique opportunity to connect with a combined audience of over 400 million people across the East African region.

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CAF has also confirmed the details of the qualification process leading up to the tournament, with the preliminary round being followed by the main qualifiers draw, scheduled to take place on 19 May 2026.

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A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, will participate in the qualifiers, which will be divided into 12 groups of four teams.

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The top two teams from each group will advance to the final tournament, with the qualifiers being played across three FIFA international windows.

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The first set of matchdays, 1 and 2, will be played from 21 September to 6 October 2026, while the second set, matchdays 3 and 4, will take place from 9 to 17 November 2026.

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The final set of matchdays, 5 and 6, will be played from 22 to 30 March 2027, completing the qualification process for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.