The Confederation of African Football has announced the official dates for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, confirming that the tournament will kick off on 19 June and conclude on 17 July 2027.
The announcement was made in a statement on Saturday, with CAF noting that the schedule received approval from the FIFA Council during its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
“The opening match will be played on Saturday, 19 June 2027, and the final on Saturday, 17 July 2027,” the statement read.
Historic co-hosting
The tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, marking the first time in history that three nations will co-host the competition.
CAF said the host venues for the opening match and final will be announced at a later date.
The continental body added that the tri-nation hosting model is expected to expand the tournament’s reach to over 400 million people across the East African region.
Qualifiers timeline
CAF also confirmed details for the qualification series, with the draw scheduled for 19 May 2026.
A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will compete in the qualifiers, which will be played across three FIFA international windows:
- Match days 1 & 2: 21 September – 6 October 2026
- Match days 3 & 4: 9 – 17 November 2026
- Match days 5 & 6: 22 – 30March 2027
The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the tournament.
Return to East Africa
The 2027 edition will mark the return of AFCON to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.
CAF noted that recent editions, including Morocco 2025 and Côte d’Ivoire 2023, have seen significant growth in sponsorship, commercial revenue, and global broadcast audiences.
The governing body said AFCON continues to gain international recognition, with the upcoming edition expected to further boost the global profile of African football.
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