AFCON
Crunch time as Super Eagles, others jostle for 17 Côte d’Ivoire 2023 tickets
It’s crunch time and +225 is calling. So far only six teams, have picked the call and earned themselves tickets to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) joining hosts Côte d’Ivoire for the platinum African football extravaganza next January.
There are 17 more tickets up for grabs with one round of games to be played this international window this week. CAFOnline looks at the groups and the permutations of qualification.
Group A:
There is a three-way battle for two tickets from this group; Nigeria sits top with nine points, Guinea Bissau second with seven while Sierra Leone have five. Bottom placed Sao Tome & Principe have one point and are out of contention.
Leaders Nigeria play away to Sierra Leone, a side they labored to beat 2-1 on match day one and just a draw will guarantee them of a place in the tournament next year.
Sierra Leone are in a must win situation to keep their hopes alive and will look to make the most of their home ground advantage.
Guinea Bissau will be away to Sao Tome in the other match, and the Djurtus will be angling for maximum points which will give them an edge of qualification especially if Sierra Leone drop points. A win takes them to eight points, and if the Leone Stars lose to Nigeria, there will be a three-point difference.
However, the two sides face off in the last match of the group.
Group B
Burkina Faso, with 10 points in four matches have already secured their place in Côte d’Ivoire and will be playing the final two matches just to ensure a strong finish.
The battle for the only remaining slot from the group has now been left to Cape Verde, eSwatini and Togo. Cape Verde are on seven points, while the latter are on two each, with a slim chance of battling for second spot.
Cape Verde face off with leaders Burkina Faso at home and need just a single point to qualify for the final tournament.
eSwatini and Togo face play against each other in the other match of the group, and either of the two’s hopes are pegged on winning their last two remaining matches and hope Cape Verde lose both of their final group matches.
Group C
Namibia leads the three-team group with five points, with Cameroon second placed with four while Burundi are third with one with all having chances of qualification.
The Southern Africans travel to play Burundi in their final match of the qualifiers and a point in this duel will be enough to earn them qualification. A win takes Namibia to eight points while a draw takes them to six, both results sailing them through.
Burundi are on a single point and are also in a must win situation to keep their hopes alive. A win puts them on four points, making for a massive showdown against Cameroon in the final round of qualifiers in September.
Cameroon will be uninvolved in this window.
Group D:
The group is still open, but can be wound up this week. Egypt, losing finalists from Cameroon 2021 lead with nine points, same as Guinea, but with a better goal aggregate.
Malawi and Ethiopia are third and fourth respectively, with three points each.
This week, Guinea and Egypt clash in a top of the table duel in Morocco and a point in the encounter will be enough to assure both teams of a place in qualification. A win for either guarantees them top spot.
Ethiopia hosts Malawi in the other fixture of the group, with the two having an outside chance of qualification. A win for either will take them to six points, and gives them a shot at qualification on the final day as they face either of the two top teams.
A draw in this match though will mean that none stand a chance of qualification heading to the last match day.
Group E:
In this group, Ghana, the Central Africa Republic and Angola all stand a chance of qualification with Madagascar already eliminated. Ghana leads the group with eight points, CAR second with seven while Angola have five at third.
Angola travel away to second placed CAR while Ghana will be away to Madagascar in Antananarivo.
Ghana and CAR will both qualify for the tournament with victories in this round.
Angola are in a must win situation against the Central Africans, but a draw will also buy them hope into the last day of the group.
Group F:
Algeria have already qualified to the Cup of Nations from this group, with a perfect record of four wins in four matches. The battle for the remaining slot is now down to East African neighbors Tanzania and Uganda as well as Niger.
Second placed Tanzania with four points host Niger at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam and a win will take them closer to Côte d’Ivoire. Niger, who are on two points bottom of the group are in a must win situation, while a draw will also bid them hope.
In Douala, Cameroon, Uganda will be hosting two-time champions Algeria. The Cranes who are on four points must win the match against Les Fennecs to retain hope. A win takes them to seven points and if Tanzania drop points against Niger, the Ssebos will only need a point in their last match to qualify, if they win in Douala on Sunday.
Group G:
This group is also widely open. Mali leads with nine points and will only need a draw when they play away to second placed Congo in Brazzaville to qualify.
The Congolese are on six points, same as third placed Gambia, but separated by goal difference. Three points will be vital for their qualification as it will firm up their hold on second spot.
Gambia will be away to bottom side South Sudan who are on three points. The Gambians, under the tutelage of Tom Saintfiet will enhance their chances with three points on the road.
South Sudan must win their home duel to keep hope alive, heading into the final round of qualification. A draw will still give them a minimal chance, depending on how Mali plays with Congo in the top of the table clash.
Group H:
As hosts, Côte d’Ivoire are already qualified for the tournament and the fight for the lone available ticket in this group is down to second placed Zambia and the Comoros. Bottom side Lesotho with one point are already eliminated.
Zambia are on nine points and only need one point when they host Cameroon to confirm their place in the tournament.
Third placed Comoros who have three points play Lesotho away from home and must win to keep their hopes alive. Their fate is however tied to the result between Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire.
Group I:
Three points separate the top and bottom sides in this group, with all four having a qualification chance. Gabon are top with seven points, Sudan second with six, Mauritania third with five and DR Congo bottom with four.
Leaders Gabon host DR Congo in Franceville, and will qualify for the tournament with victory. DR Congo, with fate out of their hands, are in a must win situation to keep their chances afloat.
Sudan hosts Mauritania in the other group match and a win will be crucial as it will either help them qualify or keep their chances high, depending on the result from the other match. Mauritania can clutch on qualification hope if they can beat the Falcons of Jediane, this taking them to eight points.
Group J:
Tunisia with 10 points have already secured qualification from this group and might be joined by Equatorial Guinea who are on nine. The two sides face off in a top of the table clash in Malabo and the Equatoguineans need just a single point to qualify.
Third placed Libya who are on three points play away to already eliminated Botswana in Francistown. Fate is out of their hands and will need to win on the road and hope Equatorial Guinea suffer defeat for them to remain hopeful heading into the final day.
Group K:
The three-team group is already wrapped up with Morocco and South Africa assured of qualification, the Atlas Lions being on six points and South Africa on four. Liberia with a single point are out of the equation.
This matchday, South Africa face off with Morocco in Johannesburg, in a battle of supremacy to decide who finishes top of the group. A win for South Africa will move them top pending the last match day between Morocco and Liberia.
The Moroccans will however be assured of finishing top with just a draw from the duel.
Group L:
Reigning champions Senegal have already sealed their place to defend the crown with a 100 per cent record of four wins in four matches. Mozambique who are second on four points, Rwanda third with three and Benin bottom with two are jostling for the remaining ticket from the group.
Benin host Senegal in Cotonou, needing three points by all means to assure themselves of qualification. A win will take them to five points.
Rwanda host Mozambique in Huye and a win will sail them to six points and topple the latter to second place, putting them at a good position of qualification.
-Cafonline
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, will discover their route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when the Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) conducts the qualifying draw on May 19, 2026.
This is an exercise that will define the country’s pathway to the historic PAMOJA 2027 tournament.
The draw, coming after the conclusion of the preliminary round, will feature 48 teams, including co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They will be pooled into 12 groups of four teams each. Only the top two teams from each group will progress to the final tournament, setting up what promises to be a fiercely competitive qualification series.
For Nigeria, a three-time African champion and podium finisher in three of the last four editions, the qualification format is familiar, but the stakes are evolving. They will need a good head start to avert the type of tragedy that defined their World Cup 2026 qualification campaign.
The Super Eagles have maintained a strong record in AFCON qualifying campaigns in recent years, yet inconsistency at the tournament proper has raised expectations for not just qualification, but a deeper continental impact.
The six-match qualification series will be spread across three FIFA international windows:
- * September–October 2026 (Matchdays 1 & 2)
- * November 2026 (Matchdays 3 & 4)
- * March 2027 (Matchdays 5 & 6)
This staggered schedule will test squad depth, technical stability, and administrative efficiency, which are areas that have historically influenced Nigeria’s performance as much as on-field quality.
East Africa Return and Logistical Implications
The 2027 tournament will mark AFCON’s return to the East African region for the first time since the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Nigeria, this introduces a different competitive environment—altitude variations, travel logistics across three host nations, and potentially unfamiliar playing conditions.
The tri-nation hosting model also means that teams must prepare for a geographically dispersed tournament, requiring early planning in scouting, acclimatisation, and logistics—areas where Nigeria has previously faced challenges in major competitions.
CAF is banking on the momentum generated by recent tournaments such as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, both of which recorded significant commercial growth, increased sponsorship value, and expanded global broadcast audiences.
For Nigeria, one of Africa’s most marketable football brands, this growth presents both opportunity and pressure. Strong performances by the Super Eagles not only boost national pride but also reinforce Nigeria’s commercial relevance in African football’s evolving ecosystem.
While the May 19 draw will simply allocate opponents on paper, its implications run deeper. A favourable group could ease Nigeria’s passage, but recent AFCON qualifiers have shown that traditional hierarchies are narrowing, with emerging teams increasingly competitive.
For the Super Eagles, the road to PAMOJA 2027 is not just about qualification—it is about reasserting continental dominance in an era where African football is becoming more competitive, more commercial, and more globally visible.
The journey begins with the draw, but for Nigeria, expectations will stretch far beyond simply making the trip to East Africa.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) has formally unveiled the competition window for the landmark Africa Cup of Nations, tagged PAMOJA 2027, setting the stage for what is shaping up to be one of the most politically and structurally significant tournaments in the competition’s history.
Scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 19 June 2027, with the final fixed for Saturday, 17 July 2027, the tournament marks only the second time the AFCON will be staged in the June–July window. The first was the expanded 24-team edition in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a shift originally designed to align African football with the European off-season calendar and improve player availability.
A Return to June–July: Progress or Persistent Constraint?
While the timing suggests continuity with the 2019 precedent, it also underscores a deeper tension within African football governance. CAF’s confirmation that the dates required approval from the FIFA Council, following a meeting in Vancouver, raises renewed questions about the confederation’s operational autonomy.
Historically, AFCON scheduling has been vulnerable to external pressures, particularly from European clubs and leagues reluctant to release African players mid-season. The June–July calendar was initially seen as a strategic compromise. However, the necessity of FIFA ratification in 2027 signals that CAF’s flagship tournament still operates within a framework heavily influenced by global football politics.
This development may reignite debate about whether CAF is charting an independent course or increasingly aligning its decisions with FIFA’s broader international calendar priorities.
Beyond scheduling, AFCON 2027 represents a structural leap. For the first time, three nations—Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda—will jointly host the tournament.
This tri-nation model, branded “PAMOJA” (Swahili for togetherness), is more than symbolic. It reflects CAF’s attempt to decentralise hosting rights, reduce infrastructural pressure on single nations, and expand the tournament’s commercial and cultural footprint.
With a projected reach of over 400 million people across East Africa, the tournament offers significant opportunities:
- Market expansion: Opening new commercial corridors in a region historically underrepresented in hosting major football events.
- Infrastructure development: Accelerated investment in stadiums, transport, and tourism across three countries.
- Regional integration: Football as a tool for political and economic cooperation within East Africa.
Yet, the model is not without risks. Multi-country hosting introduces logistical complexities—border coordination, security harmonisation, and infrastructure parity—that CAF has not previously managed at this scale.
Waiting for Key Decisions
CAF has deferred the announcement of which cities or countries will host the opening match and final, decisions that will carry both symbolic and economic weight. These choices could influence regional balance and perceptions of equity among the co-hosts.
AFCON 2027 sits at the intersection of ambition and dependency. On one hand, it embodies innovation—a new hosting model and a reaffirmed global calendar alignment. On the other, it highlights lingering structural challenges, particularly CAF’s reliance on FIFA’s approval mechanisms.
As preparations unfold, the success of PAMOJA 2027 will likely be judged not just by the quality of football on display, but by how effectively CAF navigates these competing forces—continental aspiration versus global integration.
In many ways, AFCON 2027 will be a test of whether African football can expand its horizons without compromising its independence.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Defending champions Morocco will take the first formal step in their title defence when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the draw for the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers on May 19, 2026, two days before the 122nd anniversary of the founding of FIFA.
Fresh from their triumph at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Atlas Lions now face the challenge of sustaining continental dominance as they begin the journey toward the historic East African finals, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
As reigning champions, Morocco enter the qualifiers with a target on their back. Their recent rise, bolstered by strong World Cup performances and a deep pool of Europe-based talents, has elevated expectations both at home and across the continent.
But history suggests that defending an AFCON title is rarely straightforward. The qualifying format, which includes 48 teams drawn into 12 groups of four, leaves little margin for complacency. Only the top two teams in each group will progress, meaning even established powers must navigate a potentially tricky six-match campaign.
The qualifiers will unfold across three FIFA international windows:
- * September–October 2026 (Matchdays 1 & 2)
- * November 2026 (Matchdays 3 & 4)
- * March 2027 (Matchdays 5 & 6)
For Morocco, maintaining squad cohesion across these windows will be crucial. With players spread across Europe’s top leagues, managing fatigue, travel, and club-country balance will test the technical crew’s planning and depth.
AFCON 2027 will mark the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time since the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations. The unique three-country hosting model introduces new logistical variables—ranging from climate and altitude differences to travel across multiple venues.
For Morocco, whose recent success has been built on tactical discipline and structured preparation, early adaptation to these conditions could prove decisive in their title defence.
CAF’s recent tournaments—including the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and Morocco 2025—have recorded unprecedented commercial success, expanding the global reach of African football.
As defending champions, Morocco stand at the centre of this growth. Their performances will not only shape the competitive narrative of AFCON 2027 but also influence the tournament’s commercial appeal and global visibility.
While the May 19 draw will determine Morocco’s immediate opponents, the broader mission is clear: retain continental supremacy in an increasingly competitive African football landscape.
For the Atlas Lions, the road to PAMOJA 2027 is not merely about securing qualification—it is about proving that their recent triumph was not a peak, but the beginning of sustained dominance.
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