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.

Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:

https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

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.

Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:

https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Nigeria’s former captain, William Troost-Ekong, will take centre stage off the pitch on Tuesday when he joins three other African football greats to conduct the draw for the qualification series of the historic AFCON PAMOJA 2027 in Cairo, Egypt.

The draw ceremony, scheduled for the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association, will officially launch the road to the first-ever three-nation Africa Cup of Nations, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

Troost-Ekong, who captained Nigeria to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and emerged as the tournament’s Player of the Tournament, will assist in drawing the 48 participating teams into 12 qualification groups. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the finals alongside the three co-hosts.

William Troost-Ekong, winner of the Best Player award at AFCON 2023, takes centre stage during the draw ceremony for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

The Super Eagles defender will be joined by Côte d’Ivoire legend Max-Alain Gradel, Egyptian goalkeeping icon Essam El Hadary and DR Congo playmaker Trésor Mputu at the ceremony, which will be broadcast live on CAF TV.

For Nigeria, Troost-Ekong’s involvement further underlines his growing stature as one of the leading figures of modern African football. The former Watford and PAOK defender has become one of the most influential leaders in the Super Eagles setup, earning admiration for his consistency, composure and ability to deliver in major tournaments.

He played crucial roles for Nigeria at multiple AFCON tournaments and FIFA World Cups, often contributing decisive goals from defence. His commanding displays in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year helped Nigeria reach the final and cemented his reputation as one of Africa’s elite defenders.

The AFCON PAMOJA 2027 tournament will also mark a historic return of the continental championship to East Africa for the first time in 51 years. The expanded qualification race is expected to produce intense competition as Africa’s top football nations battle for places at the finals.

Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:

https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H