The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced the calendar for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, setting the stage for a historic tournament to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
According to CAF, the competition will kick off on June 19, 2027, with the final slated for July 17, 2027. The governing body noted that the specific venues for the opening match and the final will be confirmed at a later date.
The tournament dates received formal approval from the FIFA Council during a recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
Billed as “AFCON PAMOJA 2027,” the edition will mark a significant milestone as the first in the competition’s history to be staged across three countries. CAF believes the joint hosting arrangement presents a major opportunity to expand the reach of African football, particularly across the East African region, which is home to over 400 million people.
Attention now shifts to the qualification process, with the draw for the qualifiers scheduled for May 19, 2026. A total of 48 national teams, including the three host nations, will compete for places at the tournament.
The qualification campaign will be played across three international windows. The first set of matches is expected to take place between September 21 and October 6, 2026, followed by matchdays in November 2026 and March 2027.
Teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the finals.
The 2027 tournament will also signal AFCON’s return to East Africa for the first time in over five decades, since Ethiopia hosted the continental showpiece in 1976.
With dates now confirmed and the qualification pathway outlined, preparations are expected to intensify as the continent looks ahead to a landmark edition of its flagship football competition.
