Breaking: Confederation Of African Football Sets Dates For 2027 AFCON In East Africa

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the official schedule for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to CAF, the tournament will kick off on Saturday, 19 June 2027, while the final is scheduled for Saturday, 17 July 2027.

The announcement was contained in a statement released on Saturday, noting that the calendar had already been approved by the FIFA Council during its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada. CAF also stated that the venues for both the opening match and the final will be confirmed at a later date.

The 2027 edition will mark a historic milestone as the first AFCON to be co-hosted by three countries. CAF said the arrangement is expected to significantly expand the tournament’s reach across East Africa, with an audience of over 400 million people.

Focus now shifts to the qualification series. CAF confirmed that the preliminary round has been completed, while the official draw for the qualifiers will take place on 19 May 2026.

A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will compete in the qualification phase. The draw will determine the groupings and pathways to the final tournament.

CAF further outlined the qualification schedule, stating that matches will be played across 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 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group securing qualification for the finals.

The return of AFCON to East Africa carries significant historical importance, as it will be the first time the region hosts the tournament since Ethiopia staged it in 1976.

CAF added that the 2027 edition aims to build on the success of recent tournaments in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, which recorded strong growth in sponsorship, commercial revenue, and global broadcast viewership.