AFCON 2027: CAF confirms the qualifying schedule

African national teams now know the various international windows during which the six qualifying rounds will take place.

The Confederation of African Football has released the official qualifying schedule for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the summer of 2027. The qualifying matches will begin during the FIFA window in September 2026.

Round 1 is scheduled for 23–25 September, whilst round 2 will take place from 27–29 September 2026. Rounds 3 and 4 will then be played during the November 2026 international window. The teams will face each other from 11 to 13 November for the third round of fixtures, before moving on to the fourth, scheduled for 15 to 17 November.

The final two rounds of the qualifiers will take place between 22 and 30 March 2027.

The official qualifying schedule:

• Round 1: 23–25 September
• Round 2: 27–29 September
• Round 3: 11–13 November
• Round 4: 15–17 November
• Rounds 5 and 6: 22–30 March 2027