The draw ceremony took place on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo, with former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong serving as one of the draw assistants. A total of 48 countries were drawn into 12 groups, with 24 teams expected to qualify for the competition.
The 2027 AFCON tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Nigeria, who were placed in Pot 1 for the draw, were handed what many consider a favourable group. However, because Tanzania have already qualified automatically as co-hosts, only the team that finishes top of Group L will secure a ticket to the finals.
Other standout fixtures from the draw include 2023 champions Côte d’Ivoire being grouped with Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia in Group C, while 2025 winners Senegal will face Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J. Hosts of the 2025 edition, Morocco, were drawn against Gabon, Niger and Lesotho. The qualifiers will begin during the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6, 2026, with the final round of matches scheduled for March 22 to 30, 2027.
Elijah Adeyemi
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