CAN 2027 qualifiers draw set: here’s how the groups shape up

The highly anticipated draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifiers took place in Cairo this past Tuesday, finalizing the matchups for the 48 competing nations. The teams have now been slotted into 12 balanced groups of four, with the top two finishers from each group earning a spot in the tournament’s finals.

The qualifying campaign will unfold in two phases: the opening matches are scheduled for September and October 2026, while the concluding fixtures will be played in March 2027. The finals themselves will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, marking the first time these three nations have co-organized the prestigious competition.

Full breakdown of the 12 groups

• Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
• Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
• Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia
• Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
• Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
• Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
• Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo
• Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
• Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
• Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
• Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
• Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau