It is during the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6 that the first two matchdays of the Africa Cup of Nations 2026 (AFCON 2027) qualifiers will be played. They will effectively kick off the 36th edition of the continent’s flagship football competition, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The matches for the first two group-stage matchdays, originally scheduled to be played from June 19 to July 17 but postponed because of the 2026 World Cup, will take place from September 24 to October 6, 3026.
The 48 teams in contention have been divided into 12 groups of four and will battle for qualification over six matchdays. The first and second matchdays will be played from September 24 to October 6, 2026, the third and fourth from November 9 to 17, and the fifth and sixth between March 22 and 30, 2027. These matchdays coincide with FIFA international windows.
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The three host countries of the competition, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, have automatically qualified. As a result, only one additional team will qualify from each of their groups. For example, in Group D, which includes South Africa, Guinea, Eritrea and Kenya, the only qualifying spot will be contested by South Africa and Guinea. The higher-ranked team after the six matchdays will qualify. This means the head-to-head clashes between the two teams will be crucial to qualification, while already-qualified Kenya could upset the balance. The same applies in Group H (Tunisia, Uganda, Libya and Botswana) and Group L (Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau).
The first two qualifying matchdays feature several exciting clashes. First is the Group D showdown between South Africa and Guinea, which takes on added significance because only one team from the group will qualify due to Kenya’s presence as a co-host and already-qualified team. As a result, the matches between the two sides will be seen as finals.
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There is also the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana clash in Group C, an exciting duel between two West African sides of almost equal strength, although the Ivorian Elephants appear better equipped to win the first leg at home under their new coach, Hervé Renard. It is the only clash between two teams that played at the last World Cup during the first two matchdays. Logically, the two countries, drawn in Group C alongside Gambia and Somalia, should qualify comfortably for the AFCON 2027 final tournament. However, Gambia could spring a surprise, while Ghana, which failed to qualify for the last AFCON held in Morocco, has been put on notice.
Beyond these two clashes, attention will also be on the matches between Mali and Cape Verde, one of the revelations of the last World Cup, Egypt and Angola, Algeria and Zambia, Morocco and Gabon...
CAF President Faouzi Lekjaa, also president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), hands over the CAF flag to representatives of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the co-hosts of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
It should be recalled that the AFCON 2027 final tournament will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Here are the dates and kickoff times for the first and second matchdays of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers:
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger and Lesotho
Matchday 1
Morocco - Gabon: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Niger - Lesotho: September 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Lesotho - Morocco: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Gabon - Niger: September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi and South Sudan
Matchday 1
Egypt - Angola: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Malawi - South Sudan: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
South Sudan - Egypt: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Angola - Malawi: October 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia and Somalia
Matchday 1
Côte d’Ivoire - Ghana: September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Gambia - Somalia: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Somalia - Côte d’Ivoire: September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Ghana - Gambia: September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya and Eritrea
Matchday 1
South Africa - Guinea: September 26 at 4:00 p.m.
Kenya - Eritrea: September 26 at 1:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Guinea - Kenya: October 1 at 4:00 p.m.
Eritrea - South Africa: September 30 at 4:00 p.m.
Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe
Matchday 1
DR Congo - Equatorial Guinea: September 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Sierra Leone - Zimbabwe: September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Zimbabwe - DR Congo: September 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Equatorial Guinea - Sierra Leone: September 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania and Central African Republic
Matchday 1
Mauritania - Central African Republic: September 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Burkina Faso - Benin: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Central African Republic - Burkina Faso: September 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Benin - Mauritania: September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia and Republic of the Congo
Matchday 1
Namibia - Congo: September 24 at 1:00 p.m.
Cameroon - Comoros: September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Comoros - Namibia: September 29 at 11:00 a.m.
Congo - Cameroon: September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya and Botswana
Matchday 1
Tunisia - Uganda: September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Libya - Botswana: September 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Botswana - Tunisia: September 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Uganda - Libya: September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo and Burundi
Matchday 1
Algeria - Zambia: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Togo - Burundi: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Burundi - Algeria: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Zambia - Togo: September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia
Matchday 1
Senegal - Mozambique: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Sudan - Ethiopia: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Mozambique - Sudan: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Ethiopia - Senegal: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda and Liberia
Matchday 1
Rwanda - Liberia: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Mali - Cape Verde: September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Liberia - Mali: September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Cape Verde - Rwanda: September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau
Matchday 1
Tanzania - Guinea-Bissau: September 23 at 1:00 p.m.
Nigeria - Madagascar: September 25 at 4:00 p.m.
Matchday 2
Madagascar - Tanzania: September 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Guinea-Bissau - Nigeria: September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
