AFCON 2027: Qualifying draw scheduled for May 19; 48 nations awaiting.

The countdown has begun for the qualifiers for the next Africa Cup of Nations. The Confederation of African Football has announced the date of the draw, scheduled for May 19, 2026, a key milestone on the road to AFCON 2027 co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In total, 48 national teams will be drawn into four pots of twelve teams, presumably based on the latest FIFA rankings. Among them, six nations coming from the preliminary round — South Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Lesotho, Eritrea and Ethiopia — will join the 42 teams that are directly qualified, including Benin.

Following the draw, twelve groups of four teams will be formed. The format is straightforward: the top two from each group will secure their ticket to the final tournament. The qualification schedule is already known. The opening matchdays will take place between September 21 and October 6, 2026, followed by two-legged ties in November (from 9 to 17). The group phase will conclude in March 2027, with the last two matchdays scheduled from March 22 to 30. The final tournament, for its part, will begin on June 17, 2027 and end a month later, on July 19, with a final that already promises to be the pinnacle of African football.