The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially announced key dates for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027, marking a major milestone for East Africa as the tournament prepares to be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
According to CAF, the opening match of the continental showpiece will be played on June 19, 2027, with the final scheduled for July 17, 2027. The dates were approved by the FIFA Council during a recent meeting held in Vancouver, Canada.
CAF said it will announce in due course which of the three host nations will stage the opening match and the final.
First Three-Nation AFCON
The 2027 edition—branded “PAMOJA,” meaning “together” in Swahili—will be the first AFCON tournament to be hosted by three countries, a move seen as a significant step in expanding the reach and impact of African football.
CAF noted that the tournament presents a unique opportunity to engage an estimated 400 million people across the East African region, underscoring the growing popularity of the sport on the continent.
Qualification Journey Begins
The road to AFCON 2027 will gather momentum later this month, with the draw for the qualifiers scheduled for May 19, 2026.
A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, will take part in the qualification campaign. These teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the final tournament.
The qualifiers will be played during three FIFA international windows:
- Matchdays 1 and 2: September 21 to October 6, 2026
- Matchdays 3 and 4: November 9 to 17, 2026
- Matchdays 5 and 6: March 22 to 30, 2027
Return to East Africa
The tournament will mark AFCON’s return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.
CAF said the 2027 edition will build on the commercial and sporting success of recent tournaments, including the 2023 finals in Côte d’Ivoire and the upcoming 2025 edition in Morocco, both of which have drawn record audiences and sponsorship growth.
Analysts say the joint hosting model could boost infrastructure development, tourism, and regional cooperation, while cementing East Africa’s place on the global football stage.
Further details on tournament preparations and host venues are expected to be released in the coming months as the countdown to AFCON 2027 intensifies.