2027 AFCON Qualifiers: CAF releases full fixtures

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the full fixture list for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, outlining a packed schedule across 12 groups as teams begin their quest for a place at the continental showpiece.

The qualification campaign will be played across three international windows, with Matchdays 1 and 2 scheduled between September 21 and October 6, 2026.

Matchdays 3 and 4 will follow from November 9 to 17, while Matchdays 5 and 6 are set for March 22 to 30, 2027.

The draw has produced several eye-catching group-stage clashes, including a heavyweight West African showdown between Ivory Coast and Ghana in Group C, while defending African powerhouses such as Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, and Algeria have all been handed familiar but competitive routes to qualification.

Group-by-Group Fixture Overview

Group A

Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho

MD1: Morocco v Gabon; Niger v Lesotho

MD2: Gabon v Niger; Lesotho v Morocco

MD3: Gabon v Lesotho; Morocco v Niger

MD4: Lesotho v Gabon; Niger v Morocco

MD5: Gabon v Morocco; Lesotho v Niger

MD6: Morocco v Gabon; Niger v Gabon

Group B

Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan

MD1: Egypt v Angola; Malawi v South Sudan

MD2: Angola v Malawi; South Sudan v Egypt

MD3: Angola v South Sudan; Egypt v Malawi

MD4: Malawi v Egypt; South Sudan v Angola

MD5: Angola v Egypt; South Sudan v Malawi

MD6: Egypt v South Sudan; Malawi v Angola

Group C

Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia

MD1: Gambia v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Ghana

MD2: Ghana v Gambia; Somalia v Ivory Coast

MD3: Ghana v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Gambia

MD4: Gambia v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Ghana

MD5: Ghana v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Gambia

MD6: Gambia v Ghana; Ivory Coast v Somalia

Group D

South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea

MD1: Kenya v Eritrea; South Africa v Guinea

MD2: Eritrea v South Africa; Guinea v Kenya

MD3: Guinea v Eritrea; South Africa v Kenya

MD4: Eritrea v Guinea; Kenya v South Africa

MD5: Eritrea v Kenya; Guinea v South Africa

MD6: Kenya v Guinea; South Africa v Eritrea

Group E

DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe

MD1: DR Congo v Equatorial Guinea; Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe

MD2: Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone; Zimbabwe v DR Congo

MD3: DR Congo v Sierra Leone; Equatorial Guinea v Zimbabwe

MD4: Sierra Leone v DR Congo; Zimbabwe v Equatorial Guinea

MD5: Equatorial Guinea v DR Congo; Zimbabwe v Sierra Leone

MD6: DR Congo v Zimbabwe; Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea

Group F

Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic

MD1: Burkina Faso v Benin; Mauritania v Central African Republic

MD2: Benin v Mauritania; Central African Republic v Burkina Faso

MD3: Benin v Central African Republic; Burkina Faso v Mauritania

MD4: Central African Republic v Benin; Mauritania v Burkina Faso

MD5: Benin v Burkina Faso; Central African Republic v Mauritania

MD6: Burkina Faso v Central African Republic; Mauritania v Benin

Group G

Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo

MD1: Cameroon v Comoros; Namibia v Congo

MD2: Comoros v Namibia; Congo v Cameroon

MD3: Cameroon v Namibia; Comoros v Congo

MD4: Congo v Comoros; Namibia v Cameroon

MD5: Comoros v Cameroon; Congo v Namibia

MD6: Cameroon v Congo; Namibia v Comoros

Group H

Libya, Botswana, Tunisia, Uganda

MD1: Libya v Botswana; Tunisia v Uganda

MD2: Botswana v Tunisia; Uganda v Libya

MD3: Tunisia v Libya; Uganda v Botswana

MD4: Botswana v Uganda; Libya v Tunisia

MD5: Botswana v Libya; Uganda v Tunisia

MD6: Libya v Uganda; Tunisia v Botswana

Group I

Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi

MD1: Algeria v Zambia; Togo v Burundi

MD2: Burundi v Algeria; Zambia v Togo

MD3: Algeria v Togo; Zambia v Burundi

MD4: Burundi v Zambia; Togo v Algeria

MD5: Burundi v Togo; Zambia v Algeria

MD6: Algeria v Burundi; Togo v Zambia

Group J

Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia

MD1: Senegal v Mozambique; Sudan v Ethiopia

MD2: Ethiopia v Senegal; Mozambique v Sudan

MD3: Mozambique v Ethiopia; Senegal v Sudan

MD4: Ethiopia v Mozambique; Sudan v Senegal

MD5: Ethiopia v Sudan; Mozambique v Senegal

MD6: Senegal v Ethiopia; Sudan v Mozambique

Group K

Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia

MD1: Mali v Cape Verde; Rwanda v Liberia

MD2: Cape Verde v Rwanda; Liberia v Mali

MD3: Cape Verde v Liberia; Mali v Rwanda

MD4: Liberia v Cape Verde; Rwanda v Mali

MD5: Cape Verde v Mali; Liberia v Rwanda

MD6: Mali v Liberia; Rwanda v Cape Verde

Group L

Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau

MD1: Nigeria v Madagascar; Tanzania v Guinea-Bissau

MD2: Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria; Madagascar v Tanzania

MD3: Madagascar v Guinea-Bissau; Nigeria v Tanzania

MD4: Guinea-Bissau v Madagascar; Tanzania v Nigeria

MD5: Guinea-Bissau v Tanzania; Madagascar v Nigeria

MD6: Nigeria v Guinea-Bissau; Tanzania v Madagascar

With traditional giants such as Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria all in the mix, and emerging sides like Gambia, Comoros and Cape Verde looking to upset the established order, the qualifiers promise months of intense competition across the continent.

As ever, only the strongest will survive Africa’s demanding qualification landscape to book their ticket to AFCON 2027.