The Confederation of African Football has officially unveiled the qualifying schedule for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2027, setting in motion what is shaping up to be one of the most expansive editions of the continent’s premier football competition.
Qualifying will run across two windows — September 2026 through to March 2027 — with 48 nations distributed across 12 groups of four teams each. The top two finishers from every group will earn automatic qualification to the final tournament, which is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
For Ghana, attention turns immediately to May 19, 2026, when the qualifying draw will be conducted and the Black Stars will learn their group opponents. The draw represents the first concrete step in what the Ghana Football Association and supporters alike will hope is a smoother AFCON campaign than recent editions have delivered.
The 2027 final tournament breaks significant new ground on the continental map. Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will jointly host the competition, marking the first time the Africa Cup of Nations has been staged in East Africa in the modern era.
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The tri-nation hosting arrangement mirrors a growing global trend towards shared tournament models and is expected to provide a major boost to football infrastructure and visibility across the East African region.
With qualification places at a premium across a competitive field of 48 nations, the road to AFCON 2027 promises to be fiercely contested from the opening matchday.