CAF Sets Stage For 2026/27 Season, Unveils Competition Dates and Hosts

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the dates and host countries for several major competitions on its 2026-27 calendar, saying the move will provide greater certainty for member associations, players, broadcasters and football fans.

CAF said it had made “significant progress in strengthening its Competitions calendar”, with the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

The qualifying campaign for the tournament is expected to begin in September 2026.

According to CAF, the more structured calendar reflects its efforts to consolidate existing competitions while introducing new opportunities for football development at both senior and youth levels.

“The increasingly stable calendar reflects CAF’s continued commitment to strengthening its existing Competitions while developing important new properties that will create additional opportunities at senior and youth level,” the football governing body said.

Meanwhile, South Africa will host the TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in Tshwane on November 8, 2026.

The match will feature Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns against Confederation Cup champions USM Alger, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm local time, corresponding to 1pm GMT.

CAF also announced the host countries for several of its major youth competitions.

Ghana will stage the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in February and March 2027, while Morocco will host the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in April and May.

Egypt has been selected to host the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which will also serve as the qualifying competition for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The continental football body is also exploring the possibility of introducing a CAF Under-17 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF said it is currently assessing the feasibility of launching the tournament next year, subject to the fulfilment of the required sporting and organisational conditions. If approved, the competition would provide another platform for the development of young female footballers across Africa.

In futsal, Morocco will host the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations from October 12 to 21, 2026, while Senegal is set to stage the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in November.

At club level, CAF confirmed that the draws for the preliminary rounds of the 2026-27 Champions League and Confederation Cup have been completed.

The first-leg matches are scheduled to take place from September 4 to 6, with the return legs fixed for September 11 to 13.

CAF also disclosed that discussions on the proposed African Nations League had progressed, with the organisation’s Executive Committee considering the format of the new competition.

CAF said the developments represent an important step towards creating a more organised and predictable football calendar across the continent.

“The progress across these competitions is an important step in CAF’s objective of creating a more stable and predictable African football calendar,” the organisation said.