By Kunle Solaja.

Heavyweights Nigeria, Morocco and Senegal will lead the race to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after the 48 participating teams for the qualifying campaign were officially divided into four pots ahead of the draw.

The qualifying series will determine the 21 teams that will join co-hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania at the finals scheduled to hold from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

In a surprising twist, World Cup-bound Ghana and Cape Verde were omitted from Pot 1 despite both nations qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals this summer.

Pot 1 is dominated by Africa’s traditional powerhouses, featuring Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso.

Pot 2 contains several dangerous sides, including Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Gabon, Uganda, Angola, Benin, Zambia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea and Comoros.

Co-hosts Kenya and Tanzania are placed in Pot 3 alongside Libya, Niger, Mauritania, Gambia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Togo, Malawi and Rwanda.

Pot 4 includes Zimbabwe, Guinea-Bissau, Congo, Central African Republic, Liberia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Botswana, South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.

The 48 teams will be drawn into nine groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the tournament. However, the participation of the three co-hosts in the qualifiers creates a unique format twist.

Although Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have automatic qualification as hosts, they will still participate in the qualifiers to gain competitive match practice. In any group containing one of the co-hosts, only one additional team will qualify for the finals.

The arrangement is expected to increase the intensity of the qualifiers, especially for nations drawn alongside the hosts, where the margin for error will be significantly reduced.

Today’s draw is expected to produce several high-profile clashes and regional rivalries as Africa officially begins the road to PAMOJA 2027.

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By Kunle Solaja.

The journey to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations officially begins today as African football nations discover their opponents for the qualifying series of the tournament, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, under the banner “PAMOJA 2027.”

The draw ceremony, organised by the Confederation of African Football, is expected to set the stage for what promises to be another fiercely contested race for places at Africa’s biggest football spectacle.

“Pamoja,” a Swahili word meaning “togetherness,” has become the theme and identity of the 2027 finals, reflecting the historic joint-hosting arrangement by the three East African nations. It will mark the first time the Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in the region since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.

With anticipation building across the continent, heavyweight nations including Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Cameroon and defending champions, Morocco are expected to headline the qualifying race.

For Nigeria’s Super Eagles, the draw represents the opening chapter in their quest to return to continental dominance after narrowly missing out on the title at the last edition, where thy placed third. The three-time African champions will be eager to secure a smooth path through the qualifiers as they target another appearance at the finals.

The qualification campaign is also expected to provide emerging football nations another opportunity to challenge Africa’s established powers, continuing a recent trend that has seen smaller countries close the competitive gap on the continent.

CAF officials believe the PAMOJA 2027 project will not only showcase football but also strengthen regional cooperation and infrastructure development in East Africa. Preparations for the tournament have already gathered momentum, with host cities upgrading stadiums, transport systems and hospitality facilities ahead of the competition.

Today’s draw is expected to produce intriguing matchups, potential regional rivalries and difficult qualification groups that could shape the fortunes of several football giants.

As the balls are drawn and the fixtures unveiled, the road to PAMOJA 2027 officially comes alive — beginning another continental journey filled with ambition, pressure, dreams and the enduring passion of African football.

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Apparently inspired by East Africa’s groundbreaking three-country hosting plan for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, Southern Africa is now pushing an even more ambitious proposal, a historic four-nation bid for the 2028 finals.

South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have formally submitted a joint bid to stage Africa’s flagship football tournament in what would become the continent’s first-ever four-country hosting arrangement.

The move comes on the heels of CAF’s decision to award the 2027 tournament to East African neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania under the “PAMOJA 2027” banner. This landmark moment reshaped the traditional model of AFCON hosting.

Now, Southern Africa hopes to take continental collaboration a step further.

Confirming the bid in Harare, Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng said the four nations submitted their proposal before the deadline and believe their regional infrastructure gives them a strong advantage.

“We submitted on time to host the tournament in southern Africa,” Babitseng said shortly after being elected president of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations.

“We have the transport routes and the infrastructure to host a successful tournament.”

The bid also reflects growing confidence in regional co-hosting projects across global sports. South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe are already preparing to jointly host the 2027 Cricket World Cup, strengthening cooperation among the countries.

Should CAF approve the proposal, AFCON 2028 would become one of the most geographically shared football tournaments in the world. While unprecedented in Africa, similar models have been used elsewhere, including UEFA Euro 2020, which was played across 11 countries, and the 2007 AFC Asian Cup staged in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Southern Africa’s hosting history in the Africa Cup of Nations has been limited, with only South Africa and Angola previously staging the tournament. South Africa hosted in 1996 and 2013, while Angola welcomed the continent in 2010.

But after East Africa opened a new chapter with its historic three-nation arrangement, Southern Africa now wants to raise the bar further — with a bold vision of four nations, one tournament and a new era for African football hosting.

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