AFCON is back: A guide to teams, key matches, players and more

The qualifiers for the ۲۰۲۷ Africa Cup of Nations begin on Thursday, with ۴۸ countries competing to earn spots in Africa’s biggest football tournament.

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will cohost AFCON ۲۰۲۷, as the competition returns to East Africa for the first time in ۵۱ years.

Divided into ۱۲ groups, the teams will be involved in a six-round qualifying process that runs to March next year.

Here’s everything to know about AFCON ۲۰۲۷:

Which teams are in the AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifiers?

The draw for the AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifiers took place in Cairo, Egypt, in May.

The ۴۸ teams competing in the qualifiers are as follows:

• Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
• Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
• Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia
• Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
• Group E: Democratic Republic of the 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

What are the top AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifying matches?

From the first two rounds:

• Ivory Coast vs Ghana – Thursday, September ۲۴ at ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
• Nigeria vs Madagascar – Friday, September ۲۵ at ۱۶:۰۰ GMT
• Morocco vs Gabon – Friday, September ۲۵ at ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
• Egypt vs Angola – Friday, September ۲۵ at ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
• Algeria vs Zambia – Friday, September ۲۵ at ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
• Senegal vs Mozambique – Friday, September ۲۵ at ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
• South Africa vs Guinea – Saturday, September ۲۶ at ۱۶:۰۰ GMT

What is the schedule for the ۲۰۲۷ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers?

The six rounds of AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifying will be held across these FIFA international windows:

• Rounds ۱ and ۲: September ۲۱-October ۶, ۲۰۲۶
• Rounds ۳ and ۴: November ۹-۱۷, ۲۰۲۶
• Rounds ۵ and ۶: March ۲۲-۳۰, ۲۰۲۷

How many teams can qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations?

In total, ۲۴ teams qualify for AFCON ۲۰۲۷.

The general rule is that the top two teams in each group will advance to the finals.

However, in groups containing Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania – who have automatically qualified as cohosts – only the highest-ranked team outside the respective host country will go through.

The qualifiers will be played in a home and away format, with each team playing six matches.

When and where is AFCON ۲۰۲۷?

The ۳۶th edition of AFCON will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, bringing the tournament back to East Africa after five decades.

The tournament will run from June ۱۹ to July ۱۷, ۲۰۲۷, at ۱۰ venues across the countries.

The stadiums are in the Tanzanian cities of Dar-es-Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar, the Kenyan capital Nairobi, and Hoima, Kampala and Lira in Uganda.

Who won the last AFCON?

Senegal defeated Morocco ۱-۰ in the latest AFCON final on January ۱۸, as Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal in a chaotic contest guided them to their second continental title.

But in March, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the extraordinary move to strip Senegal of their crown and award it to Morocco.

The controversial decision came after a review of an incident at the end of normal time in the final, which saw most of the Senegalese team temporarily leave the field to protest an added-time penalty awarded to Morocco, which was missed after a lengthy delay.

Senegal have appealed against CAF’s decision, and the appeal will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October ۸.

Salah, Diaz and Lookman: The top players in AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifiers

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah, who now plays club football for Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig, stars in record seven-time African champions Egypt’s squad.

Fans should also watch out for Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz and teen midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi in the Morocco squad, led by new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, as well as Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze in the Nigerian side.

Elsewhere, Ghana are strengthened by the return of their attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus, who missed the FIFA World Cup ۲۰۲۶ during a seven-month injury absence, while Senegal’s midfield features several talents such as Ibrahim Mbaye and Iliman Ndiaye.

Will Mane and Hakimi play in the AFCON qualifiers?

Morocco will be without their key player and captain Achraf Hakimi for the opening two matches as he serves a two-match suspension, alongside Ismael Saibari, who is banned for three games, for unsporting behaviour during the shambolic AFCON final in January.

Senegal will be without Sadio Mane, two-time African Footballer of the Year, as the Al-Nassr player sits out the match against Mozambique with what newly-appointed coach Patrick Vieira described as a “physical issue”.

Which other key players will miss the AFCON qualifiers?

Nigeria’s star striker Victor Osimhen will miss the opening qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau as he continues his recovery from a muscle problem. One of Africa’s finest forwards, Osimhen picked up the injury while playing for his Turkish club Galatasaray.

Naby Keita is among the several established names excluded from the Guinea squad, while Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri and Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo are both out with injuries.

Gabon will be without former captain and all-time top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who quit international duty, saying he felt “humiliated” by his exclusion and subsequent reinstatement after the AFCON in Morocco in January.

Many other players also called time on their international careers this year. This includes Riyad Mahrez, who guided Algeria to the AFCON ۲۰۱۹ title; Edouard Mendy, Senegal’s first-choice goalkeeper during their AFCON ۲۰۲۱ triumph; and Ghana’s Spanish-born forward Inaki Williams.

How to watch and follow AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifying matches?

Fans can catch all the action from the AFCON ۲۰۲۷ qualifiers on the following broadcasters or streaming platforms:

• North Africa and Middle East: beIN SPORTS
• Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
• East Africa: Azam TV, TBC Tanzania, KBC Kenya
• South Africa: SABC Sport
• Francophone Africa: Canal+

The complete list of global broadcasters is here.

Al Jazeera Sport will also bring you live coverage of select matches.