By
Arinze Izik
The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations has begun, with 21 places still up for grabs in the tournamentโs expanded 24-team field.
Branded as the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027, the 36th edition of the competition will make history as the first AFCON hosted jointly by three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The word โPamoja,โ meaning โtogetherโ in Swahili, reflects the joint hosting arrangement. All three co-hosts have automatic tickets to the finals and will not be required to qualify through the group stage.
Where matches will be played:
- Kenya: Games to be staged at Nairobiโs Talanta Stadium
- Tanzania: Lead host, with the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam as the centerpiece
- Uganda: Fixtures to be held at Kampalaโs Mandela National Stadium
How the Other 21 Teams Will Qualify
CAF is keeping the 24-team format for the finals.
A total of 48 nations are battling it out in 12 qualifying groups, labeled A to L.
- Regular Groups – 9 Groups:
In the nine groups without a host nation, the top two teams from each group will qualify directly. That accounts for 18 places. - Host Groups – D, H, and L:
Because Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are playing in the qualifiers despite already being qualified, only one non-host team from each of these three groups will advance. It will be the best-placed team aside from the host.
With this structure, exactly 21 teams will earn qualification on merit to join the three hosts. The full 24-nation lineup will be confirmed ahead of kickoff in mid-2027.
The tournament is set to be the biggest collaborative AFCON in history.
