The preliminary round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers concluded today following the final set of matches.
A total of 12 lower-ranked nations based on FIFA standings took part in the preliminary stage. Ethiopia progressed with a commanding 4-0 aggregate victory over São Tomé and Príncipe. They are joined in the next round by South Sudan, Burundi, Lesotho, Eritrea, and Somalia, all of whom secured wins over their respective opponents to advance to the group stage qualifiers.
In total, 48 teams will compete in the group stage qualifiers, including the six nations that advanced from the preliminary round and 42 teams that entered directly at this stage.
The group stage qualifiers are expected to take place between August 2026 and September 2027. The competition will feature 13 groups consisting of three to four teams each. The 13 group winners will qualify directly for the Africa Cup of Nations, along with the three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up will compete in a two-legged playoff round, with five teams progressing to complete the final list of qualified nations for the tournament.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will also mark a historic milestone as it will be hosted jointly by three countries for the first time. Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have been selected as co-hosts of the tournament.
