The countdown to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has officially begun, with exactly one year remaining until Africa’s biggest football spectacle returns to East Africa for the first time in over five decades.
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda 2027 will kick off on June 19, 2027, marking a historic milestone as the three East African nations jointly host the continent’s premier football tournament for the first time.
The competition, which runs until July 17, 2027, is expected to attract more than 1.5 million fans across the host nations, while reaching a global television audience exceeding 3.2 billion viewers.
CAF is currently consulting with the Local Organising Committees and governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to determine the venues for the Final Draw in March 2027, as well as the opening match and final.
Theme of Unity
The tournament will be staged under the theme “PAMOJA”, a Swahili word meaning “Together”, symbolising the Confederation of African Football’s vision of unity, cooperation and shared progress through the game.
With 365 days to go before kick-off, excitement is steadily building across the continent as nations prepare for the qualification campaign that will decide the 24 teams set to compete for Africa’s most coveted football prize.
Road to AFCON 2027
The journey to the finals began following the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Draw held in Cairo in May 2026, where 48 participating nations learned their paths to qualification.
African football heavyweights including Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa and DR Congo will begin their qualification campaigns when matches commence in September 2026.
The qualifiers will be played during three FIFA international windows:
Matchdays 1 & 2: September 21 – October 6, 2026
Matchdays 3 & 4: November 9 – 17, 2026
Matchdays 5 & 6: March 22 – 30, 2027
Host nations Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already secured automatic qualification for the finals. However, they will still participate in the qualification series, with only one additional team advancing from each of their respective groups.
Growing Global Appeal
The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations continues to strengthen its status as one of the world’s most-watched sporting events. Recent editions staged in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco have recorded unprecedented global audiences, further expanding the tournament’s international footprint.
Over the next 12 months, CAF, the host nations and football stakeholders across Africa will intensify preparations to deliver a memorable tournament that reflects the continent’s passion, talent and ambition.
As the clock ticks down to June 19, 2027, Africa eagerly awaits another chapter in the rich history of its flagship football competition.
