CAF Announces AFCON 2027 Schedule Amid Senegal-Morocco Title Controversy

In light of ongoing uncertainty, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed that the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will take place from 19 June to 17 July.

For the first time in history, the tournament will be co-hosted by three nations: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, under the slogan “PAMOJA 2027.”

This edition will feature several newly refurbished stadiums in Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, and Kampala hosting significant matches.

The announcement arrives amid ongoing discussions regarding the current tournament in Morocco, where Senegal was initially named champion but later had their title rescinded by CAF’s Appeals Board.

This ruling followed a protest from Senegal after they exited the pitch when Morocco was awarded a controversial penalty, resulting in an 18-minute delay.

After the match resumed, Brahim Díaz had his penalty attempt saved, and Pape Gueye netted a late goal that seemed to clinch Senegal’s second AFCON title, which was later overturned by the ruling.

The title for 2025 remains “vacant,” awaiting further appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from Senegal.

The FIFA Council approved the tournament dates for 2027 during a recent meeting held in Vancouver, Canada.

CAF will announce the host cities for the opening match and the final at a later date.

Being the first AFCON hosted across three countries, the 2027 edition opens up an unprecedented opportunity for CAF and African football to reach over 400 million viewers in the East African region.

Qualification and Path to the Final Tournament:

With the preliminary rounds completed, the journey to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda continues, with the draw for qualifiers slated for 19 May 2026.

A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosting nations, will participate in the qualifiers. The draw will outline the pathway to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027.

The qualifiers will be held during three FIFA international windows:

• Matchdays 1 and 2: 21 September to 6 October 2026
• Matchdays 3 and 4: 9 to 17 November 2026
• Matchdays 5 and 6: 22 to 30 March 2027

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the final tournament.

The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 also marks the return of the competition to the East African region for the first time since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976.

This tournament aims to build on the success of recent editions, notably Morocco 2025 and Côte d’Ivoire 2023, which set record commercial revenue, sponsorship growth, and global broadcasting audiences, highlighting the increasing competitiveness and popularity of African football on the world stage.