Sierra Leone and forty-seven other African nations are competing for a spot in the finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in 2027.
The Group Stages of the Qualifiers begin on Thursday, September 24, and will run until Tuesday, October 6. During this time, 24 matches will be played across 12 groups.
Match Day 1 features key matches, including Côte d’Ivoire versus Ghana in Bouaké and Morocco against Gabon in Rabat. Sierra Leone hosts Zimbabwe’s Warriors in El Jadida, Morocco, at 19:00 GMT tonight for a place in the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027, and will return to East Africa for the first time since 1976.
Sierra Leone, dominated by foreign-based players, will provide a tough test for their visitors, making concentration and discipline crucial throughout the game.
African giant clash: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana face off at 19:00 GMT. This match marks a new chapter for Côte d’Ivoire under coach Hervé Renard, who has included several new players. Other matches include DR Congo versus Equatorial Guinea and Uganda taking on Tunisia.
On Friday, September 25, 14 matches are scheduled. Morocco will play Gabon, and Egypt will host Angola. Nigeria begins their campaign against Madagascar without star striker Victor Osimhen, who is injured.
On Saturday, September 26, South Africa will host Guinea, and co-host Kenya will face Eritrea. Kenya is already qualified as a co-host, and only the highest-ranked team outside of the host nations will advance.
The 48 teams were divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the finals, except in Groups D, H, and L, where co-hosts automatically qualify. The campaign continues with matches in November and March 2027.
PAMOJA, meaning “Together” in Swahili, reflects CAF’s vision of unity and collaboration as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda prepare to co-host AFCON.
TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Qualifiers – Matchday 1 Fixtures
Thursday, 24 September 2026 – All times GMT
- Group G: Namibia vs Congo – 13h00
- Group E: DR Congo vs Equatorial Guinea – 16h00
- Group F: Mauritania vs Central African Republic – 16h00
- Group H: Libya vs Botswana – 16h00
- Group C: Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana – 19h00
- Group E: Sierra Leone vs Zimbabwe – 19h00
- Group G: Cameroon vs Comoros – 19h00
- Group H: Tunisia vs Uganda – 19h00
Friday, 25 September 2026 – All times GMT
- Group L: Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau – 13h00
- Group A: Niger vs Lesotho – 15h00
- Group B: Malawi vs South Sudan – 16h00
- Group C: The Gambia vs Somalia – 16h00
- Group I: Togo vs Burundi – 16h00
- Group J: Sudan vs Ethiopia – 16h00
- Group K: Rwanda vs Liberia – 16h00
- Group L: Nigeria vs Madagascar – 16h00
- Group A: Morocco vs Gabon – 19h00
- Group B: Egypt vs Angola – 19h00
- Group F: Burkina Faso vs Benin – 19h00
- Group I: Algeria vs Zambia – 19h00
- Group J: Senegal vs Mozambique – 19h00
- Group K: Mali vs Cape Verde – 19h00
Saturday, 26 September 2026 – All times GMT
- Group D: Kenya vs Eritrea – 13h00
- Group D: South Africa vs Guinea – 16h00
