Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers: Coaches question CAF’s use of extended international window

Several African coaches have criticised the Confederation of African Football’s decision to schedule the first two Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches between 24 and 30 September, saying the extended international window could have been used more effectively.

FIFA announced in 2025 that the September and October international windows would be combined. Between 21 September and 6 October, national teams can therefore play at least four matches, either friendlies or competitive fixtures, including Nations League games in Europe and the CONCACAF region and Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers.

The reform was intended to prevent players from returning to their clubs around 10 September before travelling again only three weeks later, reducing additional fatigue during an already crowded season. However, CAF chose to stage the opening qualifying rounds first, leaving federations to arrange friendlies from 1 to 6 October.

Claude Le Roy, the Congo manager, told Afrik-Foot he found the decision difficult to understand. Many teams only recovered their players on the evening of 20 September, or more often on 21 September, leaving little time to prepare.

Congo will play Namibia in Gaborone on 24 September before facing Cameroon in Brazzaville. Le Roy said it would have been “much more rational” to hold the two qualifying rounds between 28 September and 6 October, allowing more preparation time and a longer break between matches given the travel difficulties often encountered in Africa.

Sebastien Migne, the Gabon manager, agreed. Gabon will play Morocco in Rabat and Niger in Franceville. “An international friendly would probably have been more useful before the first round,” he said, adding that his team had decided not to arrange one in October because it would have offered little benefit.

Gabon are among the teams with no friendly scheduled between 1 and 6 October, alongside Togo, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Burundi and Madagascar. Congo will also release its players after 30 September. Le Roy said he had no intention of asking them to play additional matches after the meeting with Cameroon.

Hubert Velud, the Comoros manager, also questioned the schedule. His side will travel to Cameroon and host Namibia before extending their camp to the morning of 5 October to face Senegal in Marseille the previous day.

“It is a prestigious friendly against one of Africa’s best teams, so it makes sense,” Velud said. “Without the opportunity to face such an opponent, I doubt we would have played on that date.” Migne added that motivating players for a friendly after two qualifying matches was difficult.

Burkina Faso and Benin will travel to Argentina on 3 and 6 October, with the Guepards set to provide the opposition for Lionel Messi’s final international appearance.

Other teams will use the period for friendlies. DR Congo will face Uganda twice in South Africa on 2 and 5 October after playing Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe. Sebastien Desabre selected additional players specifically for those matches.

Libya manager Youssoupha Dabo has taken a similar approach. After matches against Botswana in Tripoli and Uganda in Hoima, Libya are expected to host Mauritania around 3 or 4 October. Dabo said players would be released and replaced to give more of the squad playing time.

He agreed that CAF could have scheduled the qualifiers later in the longer window, a lesson the organisation may consider for the first FIFA date of the 2027-28 season.