Harambee Stars/HANDOUTHarambee Stars have been drawn in a challenging Group D for the PAMOJA 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers alongside South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea following the official draw conducted in Cairo on Tuesday.
The draw officially kick-starts qualification campaigns for Africa’s biggest football competition, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania under the PAMOJA 2027 banner.
Group D is expected to provide stiff competition, with former African champions South Africa and a strong Guinea side presenting major tests for Kenya as they seek to build momentum ahead of the tournament.
Eritrea completes the group in what promises to be a tightly contested qualification campaign.
The qualifiers will feature 48 nations battling for 24 available spots at the finals, which are scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The tournament will mark a historic moment for East Africa as the region hosts the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in decades and the first ever for Kenya.
As co-hosts, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are guaranteed places at the finals. However, they will still participate in the qualifiers, with Groups D, H and L featuring a special format where the highest-placed team besides the co-hosts will secure qualification to the tournament.
The qualification matches will be played across three FIFA international windows. The first round of fixtures is set for September 21 to October 6 this year, followed by a second window from November 9 to 17. The final matches will then be played between March 22 and 30 next year, with each team playing two matches per window.
The Cairo draw also produced several other intriguing groups across the continent. Group A features Morocco, Gabon, Niger and Lesotho, while defending African champions Ivory Coast headline Group C alongside Ghana, Gambia and Somalia. Nigeria were drawn in Group L with Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, while Senegal will face Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J.
The draw presents the Harambee Stars an early opportunity to test themselves against some of Africa’s established football nations as Kenya prepares to welcome the continent for the historic PAMOJA 2027 tournament.
AFCON is the biggest international football tournament in Africa. It is organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and brings together the best men’s national football teams from across the continent.
The tournament is held every two years, with teams first competing in qualification matches to earn a place in the finals. The competition determines the continental champion of Africa.
AFCON was first held in 1957 with only three participating countries – Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Since then, it has grown into one of the world’s major football tournaments, attracting millions of viewers globally.
