U23 AFCON qualifying draw: Nigeria, Ghana and Morocco learn their opening opponents

The route to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Under-23 finals has been mapped out after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the qualifying draw on Tuesday, with Tunisia facing Benin and Rwanda drawn against Sudan in the opening round.

Egypt will host the final tournament, while seven other teams will qualify to join the hosts in the finals. The draw also produced a meeting between Togo and Libya, as well as a series of ties involving some of Africa’s leading football nations.

The first-round first legs will be played on 28 September, with the return matches scheduled for 6 October. The second round will take place on 9 and 17 November 2026, before the final qualifying round is contested on 22 and 30 March 2027.

Teams with the stronger rankings enter the competition in the second round. Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria and Algeria will all begin their campaigns away from home against teams that come through the first stage.

First-round ties

The opening phase includes 14 two-legged ties. Tunisia will meet Benin, while Rwanda face Sudan. Togo and Libya will also go head-to-head for a place in the next round.

The full first-round draw is:

– Sierra Leone v Burkina Faso – Mauritania v Democratic Republic of the Congo – Sao Tome and Principe v Equatorial Guinea – Togo v Libya – Tunisia v Benin – Kenya v Tanzania – Djibouti v South Sudan – Ethiopia v Uganda – Rwanda v Sudan – Comoros v Madagascar – Angola v Namibia – Seychelles v Botswana – Malawi v Eswatini – Zimbabwe v Mauritius

Second round

The winners of those ties will face a higher-ranked opponent in the next stage. The winner of Sierra Leone v Burkina Faso will play Zambia, while Mauritania or Democratic Republic of the Congo will meet Nigeria.

Togo or Libya will be paired with Ghana, and the winner of Tunisia v Benin will face Gabon. Kenya or Tanzania will take on Cote d’Ivoire, while Senegal await the winners of Djibouti v South Sudan.

Morocco will enter against either Ethiopia or Uganda. Other second-round ties include Rwanda or Sudan against Cameroon, Comoros or Madagascar against South Africa, and Angola or Namibia against Congo.

The draw is completed by Seychelles or Botswana against Guinea, Malawi or Eswatini against Algeria, and Zimbabwe or Mauritius against Mali.

The second-round fixtures are:

– Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso v Zambia – Mauritania/Democratic Republic of the Congo v Nigeria – Sao Tome and Principe/Equatorial Guinea v Nigeria – Togo/Libya v Ghana – Tunisia/Benin v Gabon – Kenya/Tanzania v Cote d’Ivoire – Djibouti/South Sudan v Senegal – Ethiopia/Uganda v Morocco – Rwanda/Sudan v Cameroon – Comoros/Madagascar v South Africa – Angola/Namibia v Congo – Seychelles/Botswana v Guinea – Malawi/Eswatini v Algeria – Zimbabwe/Mauritius v Mali

Final qualifying round

The seven places at the finals will be decided in the third round, with the first and second legs scheduled for 22 and 30 March 2027.

One final-round tie will bring together the winner of Sierra Leone v Burkina Faso v Zambia and the winner of Mauritania v Democratic Republic of the Congo v Nigeria. The winner of Sao Tome and Principe v Equatorial Guinea v Nigeria will meet the team emerging from Togo v Libya v Ghana.

The winner of Tunisia v Benin v Gabon will face Kenya v Tanzania v Cote d’Ivoire, while the victors from Djibouti v South Sudan v Senegal and Ethiopia v Uganda v Morocco will meet.

The remaining ties are Rwanda v Sudan v Cameroon against Comoros v Madagascar v South Africa, Angola v Namibia v Congo against Seychelles v Botswana v Guinea, and Malawi v Eswatini v Algeria against Zimbabwe v Mauritius v Mali.

The complete third-round draw is:

– Sierra Leone/Burkina Faso/Zambia v Mauritania/Democratic Republic of the Congo/Nigeria – Sao Tome and Principe/Equatorial Guinea/Nigeria v Togo/Libya/Ghana – Tunisia/Benin/Gabon v Kenya/Tanzania/Cote d’Ivoire – Djibouti/South Sudan/Senegal v Ethiopia/Uganda/Morocco – Rwanda/Sudan/Cameroon v Comoros/Madagascar/South Africa – Angola/Namibia/Congo v Seychelles/Botswana/Guinea – Malawi/Eswatini/Algeria v Zimbabwe/Mauritius/Mali