2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers draw set for December 19 in Rabat

The2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers draw is set to take place on December 19, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco.

The ceremony, which will be broadcast across the continent, will finalize the group stage pairings for the teams battling for a spot in the historic tournament.

This edition of AFCON, jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, marks the first time three nations will share hosting duties.

The draw is a crucial step for the qualifying nations, as it lays out the pathway for their campaign toward the final tournament in East Africa.

The draw will see national teams seeded into 13 groups. As co-hosts, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 tournament, so they will not be included in the draw.

The qualifying process is designed to select the remaining 21 teams for the main event. Following the draw, the 13 group winners will advance directly to the AFCON finals, along with the three best-ranked runners-up from the qualifying groups.

The remaining runners-up will then compete in a final, two-legged play-off round to determine the last qualified teams.

Qualifying matches for the 2027 AFCON are slated to begin early in 2026, with the group stage scheduled to run through October 2026.

The two-legged play-off round will then be held in November 2026 to conclude the qualification process.

Teams will be competing during FIFA’s international windows, which ensures that top players can be available for their national squads.

All the information regarding the draw will be broadcast live on CAF’s official digital platforms and via its broadcast partners, providing fans with immediate access to the qualifying groups.