Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa & Morocco Brace For High-Stakes AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

By FRED LONGJOHN OBEH

November Double-Headers Set to Intensify Qualification Race

THE race for places at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA will enter a decisive phase in November as national teams across the continent prepare for Matchdays 3 and 4.

Scheduled for 12–17 November 2026, the fixtures will take the qualifying campaign beyond its opening two rounds. Consequently, several teams will face crucial back-to-back encounters that could reshape their groups and strengthen or weaken their hopes of reaching the finals.

Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, South Africa, DR Congo, Rwanda, Mali and Guinea-Bissau have emerged among the early contenders after their opening performances. Nevertheless, several groups remain tightly contested, leaving little room for dropped points.

Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia & Ghana Face Group C Tests

Group C will attract considerable attention as Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia prepare to meet twice. Both sides have collected maximum points from their opening matches, making their encounters potentially decisive in the battle for the group’s leading position.

The first meeting will take place in Bouaké before the teams travel to Bakau for the return fixture.

Meanwhile, Ghana face mounting pressure after losing their opening two matches without collecting a point. The Black Stars must overcome Somalia in consecutive encounters if they hope to revive their qualifying campaign.

Group K will also feature a clash between two teams with perfect records. Mali and Rwanda have each secured six points and will first meet in Bamako before renewing their contest in Kigali.

Senegal, Mozambique & Sudan Battle for Group J Control

Group J remains another closely watched contest, with Senegal and Mozambique occupying the leading positions on four points each. Sudan, however, remain within reach with three points.

Senegal’s meeting with Sudan could influence the balance of power, while Mozambique must negotiate two encounters against Ethiopia. Therefore, the November results could significantly shape the group’s qualification prospects.

Morocco, South Africa & DR Congo Seek to Maintain Perfect Starts

Morocco will aim to preserve their flawless record in Group A when they face Niger home and away. The North Africans have started strongly and will seek to extend their advantage at the top.

In Group B, Egypt and Angola have four points apiece, while Malawi trail by just one point. Their upcoming matches could therefore produce significant changes in the standings.

South Africa, meanwhile, face a demanding double-header against co-hosts Kenya in Group D. Bafana Bafana have won their opening two matches, but Kenya, under former South African striker Benni McCarthy, will be eager to challenge the group leaders.

Similarly, DR Congo will seek to maintain their perfect start when they meet Sierra Leone twice in Group E.

Elsewhere, Cameroon, Uganda and Algeria currently lead Groups G, H and I respectively. Group F also remains competitive, with Benin and Burkina Faso level at the top.

Super Eagles Face Important Double-Header Against Tanzania

Nigeria will have an important opportunity to strengthen their qualification campaign when they face co-hosts Tanzania twice in Group L.

Guinea-Bissau currently lead the group after collecting six points from their opening two matches. The Super Eagles occupy second place with three points and will need a strong return from their November encounters to improve their position.

Tanzania, as one of the tournament’s co-hosts, have already secured a place at the finals. Nevertheless, the matches remain important to Nigeria’s position in the qualifying standings and their efforts to build momentum.

AFCON 2027 Qualification Format & Tournament Dates

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have automatically qualified for the 2027 tournament as co-hosts, regardless of their final positions in the qualifying groups.

However, the qualification arrangements differ for groups containing a host nation. In those groups, the highest-placed team apart from the host will secure a place at the finals. In all other groups, the top two teams will qualify.

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 will take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly hosting the competition.

With the campaign approaching its midpoint, the November fixtures will provide a clearer indication of the teams best positioned to reach Africa’s premier international football tournament.

MATCHDAY 3 FIXTURES

12 November

• Group C: Ghana v Somalia — 15:00
• Group C: Côte d’Ivoire v Gambia — 19:00
• Group D: Guinea v Eritrea — 16:00
• Group E: DR Congo v Sierra Leone — 16:00
• Group E: Equatorial Guinea v Zimbabwe — 16:00
• Group F: Benin v Central African Republic — 19:00
• Group G: Cameroon v Namibia — 19:00
• Group J: Senegal v Sudan — 19:00
• Group L: Madagascar v Guinea-Bissau — 16:00

13 November

• Group A: Gabon v Lesotho — 16:00
• Group A: Morocco v Niger — 20:00
• Group B: Egypt v Malawi — 19:00
• Group D: South Africa v Kenya — 16:00
• Group F: Burkina Faso v Mauritania — 16:00
• Group G: Comoros v Congo — 13:00
• Group H: Tunisia v Libya — 16:00
• Group I: Zambia v Burundi — 13:00
• Group J: Mozambique v Ethiopia — 13:00
• Group K: Cape Verde v Liberia — 16:00
• Group K: Mali v Rwanda — 19:00
• Group L: Nigeria v Tanzania — 16:00

14 November

• Group B: Angola v South Sudan — 19:00
• Group H: Uganda v Botswana — 16:00
• Group I: Algeria v Togo — 19:00

MATCHDAY 4 FIXTURES

16 November

• Group C: Somalia v Ghana — 15:00
• Group D: Eritrea v Guinea — 16:00
• Group E: Zimbabwe v Equatorial Guinea — 13:00
• Group F: Central African Republic v Benin — 16:00
• Group G: Namibia v Cameroon — 13:00
• Group J: Sudan v Senegal — 13:00

17 November

• Group A: Lesotho v Gabon — 13:00
• Group A: Niger v Morocco — 20:00
• Group B: Malawi v Egypt — 13:00
• Group B: South Sudan v Angola — 13:00
• Group C: Gambia v Côte d’Ivoire — 16:00
• Group D: Kenya v South Africa — 16:00
• Group E: Sierra Leone v DR Congo — 16:00
• Group F: Mauritania v Burkina Faso — 19:00
• Group G: Congo v Comoros — 19:00
• Group H: Libya v Tunisia — 16:00
• Group H: Botswana v Uganda — 19:00
• Group I: Burundi v Zambia — 13:00
• Group I: Togo v Algeria — 16:00
• Group J: Ethiopia v Mozambique — 13:00
• Group K: Rwanda v Mali — 19:00
• Group K: Liberia v Cape Verde — 19:00
• Group L: Tanzania v Nigeria — 13:00
• Group L: Guinea-Bissau v Madagascar — 16:00