The Journey to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Begins!
On March 25, 2026, the long-anticipated qualification rounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) officially commenced. This significant event is symbolized by the inaugural match taking place in Morocco, the host nation of the previous edition and recently crowned African champions following the verdict from the African Football Confederation (CAF) appeal committee. As African national teams prepare for their friendly matches this March, the twelve lowest-ranked nations in the FIFA rankings are engaged in the preliminary round of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The tournament is set to be co-hosted by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, although Kenya's status as a co-host remains precarious due to financial pressures.
Eritrea Returns to AFCON Qualifiers
The first match of these qualifiers is scheduled for today at the Stade d'Honneur in Meknès, Morocco, where Eritrea will participate in their first AFCON qualifying match since 2008, after numerous withdrawals from previous tournaments. Due to the lack of a compliant stadium within their own borders, the Red Sea Boys, like several other teams, have had to relocate their match. This historic encounter will see them face Eswatini, leveraging the talents of dual nationals and expatriates including Tesfaldet Tekie from Sweden and others from various clubs across Europe and Australia.
On March 26, South Sudan, having recently changed their coach from Frenchman Nicolas Dupuis to Cameroonian Cyprian Basong Ashu, will take on Djibouti. Meanwhile, Morocco will host another match on March 27 featuring São Tomé against Ethiopia in El Jadida. The return matches are set to take place from March 29 to 31, adding to the excitement of the qualifiers.
As reported by afrik-foot.com.
