Forty-eight national teams are in the AFCON 2027 qualifying groups, and only 21 places are up for grabs. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda already have theirs as co-hosts, which changes how three of the groups are decided.
The first two matchdays are being played right now, between 21 September and 6 October 2026. If the group letters, host exceptions and tiebreakers have you second-guessing a table, this guide sorts out how AFCON qualification works from the first whistle to the last matchday in March 2027.
How AFCON Qualification Works at a Glance
AFCON qualification is a group competition: 48 teams are split into 12 groups of four, and 24 teams reach the finals, which run from 19 June to 17 July 2027. There are no knockout rounds along the way.
48 teams in the qualifying groups
12 groups of four, labelled A to L
24 teams at the finals, including three co-hosts
Since the hosts are already in, that leaves 21 places to be won across the 12 groups. The rest of this guide shows where those 21 come from.
AFCON 2027 Qualifying Groups Explained: 12 Groups, Six Matches Per Team
Every team plays the other three sides in its group home and away, which means six matches per team, three at home and three away. The 12 groups were set in the official qualifier draw, and the games are played across three international windows rather than one long block.
That spacing matters. A team can look comfortable after two matchdays and be under pressure by November, because each window adds only two games to the table.
How Points Work in the AFCON Qualifying Group Stage
A win earns three points, a draw earns one, and a defeat earns none. Teams are ranked by total points across their six matches, and the standings are read from the top down.
Take a team that wins three games, draws one and loses two. That side finishes on ten points. When two or more teams finish on the same total, the tiebreakers later in this guide take over.
Who Qualifies for AFCON 2027: Top Two and the Co-Host Exception
The top two teams in each group qualify for the finals, except in Groups D, H and L, where only the best-placed team outside the host country goes through. Those three groups contain Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, who have already qualified as co-hosts.
1. The Standard Rule in Nine Groups
In Groups A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J and K, the first and second-placed teams both advance. That produces 18 qualifiers from nine groups.
2. The Co-Host Rule in Groups D, H and L
The hosts still play all six matches and appear in the standings, but they do not take a qualifying place. If Kenya finishes first in Group D, the best-placed of South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea still goes through. If Kenya finishes fourth, the same rule applies.
That adds three more qualifiers, one from each host group. Put the pieces together and the count works out: 18 from the standard groups, three from the host groups, and three hosts make 24.
| Group | Times | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| A | Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho | Top two |
| B | Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan | Top two |
| C | Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia | Top two |
| D | South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea | Best team outside Kenya |
| E | DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe | Top two |
| F | Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic | Top two |
| G | Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo | Top two |
| H | Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana | Best team outside Uganda |
| I | Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi | Top two |
| J | Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia | Top two |
| K | Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia | Top two |
| L | Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau | Best team outside Tanzania |
For live fixtures and standings, the Africa Cup of Nations standings and fixtures page is a useful companion to the table above.
How CAF Tiebreakers Work When Teams Are Level on Points
When teams finish on the same points, CAF looks at the matches between the tied teams first and only then at the whole group. That order matters, because a side can have the better overall goal difference and still finish behind a rival it beat twice.
According to the qualification rules as listed on Wikipedia, the sequence runs like this:
- Points in the matches between the tied teams.
- Goal difference in those matches.
- Goals scored in those matches.
- Away goals scored in those matches.
- If more than two teams are still level, repeat steps 1 to 4 using only the teams that remain tied.
- Goal difference in all group matches.
- Goals scored in all group matches.
- Away goals scored in all group matches.
- Drawing of lots.
Here is a simple case. Two teams finish on ten points, and one of them won 2-1 at home and drew 0-0 away in the meetings between them. That team leads the head-to-head points four to one and finishes higher, whatever the overall goal difference says.
AFCON 2027 Qualifying Calendar: Matchday Windows Through March 2027
The six qualifying matchdays are spread over three windows, and the last one finishes less than three months before the finals begin. The dates below come from CAF’s draw announcement, and Al Jazeera’s schedule rundown lists the same windows.
| Window | Matchdays | Datas |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1 and 2 | 21 September to 6 October 2026 |
| Second | 3 and 4 | 9 to 17 November 2026 |
| Third | 5 and 6 | 22 to 30 March 2027 |
Because the first window is still open, the tables are early ones. The November window is where contenders start to separate from the rest.
As each window arrives, you can set the fixtures against these AI football predictions for a data-led view of each match.
Common Questions About AFCON Qualification
Do the Hosts Play in the Qualifiers?
Yes. Kenya (Group D), Uganda (Group H) and Tanzania (Group L) play all six matches and appear in the standings. They have already qualified, so they do not take one of the 21 open places.
How Many Teams Reach the Finals?
Twenty-four teams reach the finals. Twenty-one come through qualifying and three are the co-hosts.
How Many Matches Does Each Team Play?
Six. Each team meets its three group opponents once at home and once away.
What Happens if Two Teams Finish Level on Points?
Head-to-head results between the tied teams decide it first, starting with points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then away goals. Overall group numbers and a drawing of lots come after that.
When Does Qualifying End?
The final two matchdays fall between 22 and 30 March 2027, and the finals begin on 19 June 2027.
What to Check When You Read an AFCON 2027 Qualifying Table
Start with the group letter. In Groups D, H and L, ignore the host when counting who is through, because the host has already qualified and only the best-placed visitor takes the place. In the other nine groups, the top two are through.
Next, look at points, then head-to-head results between any teams level on points, since those come before overall goal difference. Once you know how AFCON qualification works, any table in the competition becomes easy to read.
For everything beyond the qualifiers, including the host nations and the format of the finals, the complete guide to AFCON 2027 covers what happens once the 24 teams are set.
