Exactly one year from now, East Africa will host one of the world's most watched sporting events for the first time since 1976, when the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations KE-TZ-UG 27 kicks off on 19 June 2027.

Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will stage the tournament together — a historic first for all three nations. The event is expected to draw more than 1.5 million fans across the three countries, with the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations now commanding a global television audience of over 3.2 billion.

The final and key dates

The final will take place on 17 July 2027. CAF is still in discussions with the three host nations' Local Organising Committees and their governments to confirm which country will stage the Final Draw in March 2027, the opening match on 19 June, and the final on 17 July.

The tournament carries the theme PAMOJA — the Swahili word for "Together" — reflecting CAF's commitment to unity, cooperation, and shared progress through football.

Road to qualification

The qualifying campaign is already under way following the Qualifiers Draw held in Cairo in May, where 48 nations learned their paths to the finals. Among the continent's heavyweights set to begin their qualification push in September 2026 are Morocco, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, and DR Congo.

The qualification rounds will be played across three FIFA international windows:

Matchdays 1 & 2: 21 September – 6 October 2026

Matchdays 3 & 4: 9 – 17 November 2026

Matchdays 5 & 6: 22 – 30 March 2027

As co-hosts, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have secured automatic places in the 24-team field, though they will still take part in the qualifiers. In each of their groups, only one additional nation will advance to the finals.

A growing global spectacle

Recent editions of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations — held in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Morocco — have attracted record global audiences, cementing the competition's reputation as Africa's premier sporting event. Over the next 12 months, CAF, the three host nations, and football stakeholders across the continent will intensify preparations to deliver a tournament befitting Africa's passion and ambition.