CAF Announces Official Dates For 2027 AFCON In East Africa

The Confederation of African Football has officially outlined the timetable for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, setting in motion preparations for a historic tournament to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

According to Ireporter Online, the continental football body confirmed that the opening match of the tournament will take place on June 19, 2027, while the final is scheduled for July 17, 2027. The announcement followed approval of the competition calendar by the FIFA Council at a recent meeting held in Vancouver, Canada, with details of the venues for both the opening fixture and final yet to be disclosed.

The 2027 edition is expected to mark a significant milestone as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted across three countries, a move CAF believes will extend the tournament’s reach to an estimated 400 million people within the East African region.

Focus is now shifting to the qualification process, with the preliminary stage already concluded. The draw for the qualifiers has been fixed for May 19, 2026, where 48 teams, including the three host nations, will discover their routes to the finals. The qualification matches will be played during three FIFA international windows, spanning September to October 2026, November 2026, and March 2027.

Participating teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the tournament proper.

The return of the competition to East Africa carries historical significance, marking the first time the region will host the tournament since Ethiopia staged it in 1976. CAF noted that the upcoming edition aims to build on the commercial and global audience growth recorded in recent tournaments held in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire.