Harambee Stars pooled alongside South Africa in Group D of 2027 AFCON qualifiers
By Joel Masibo, May 19, 2026The road to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda 2027 officially took shape on Tuesday afternoon, May 19, 2026, after the qualifiers’ draw was conducted at the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The draw, held on May 19, 2026, unveiled 12 groups featuring nations from across the continent battling for places at the prestigious tournament that will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027, with preparations in top gear.
The opening fixture of the continental showpiece is scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2027, while the final match will be played on Saturday, July 17, 2027.
Road to East Africa
East African nations will be closely following Group D, where Kenya has been pooled alongside South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea in what promises to be a highly competitive qualification campaign. Neighbours Uganda landed in Group H together with Tunisia, Libya and Botswana, while Tanzania was drawn in Group L alongside Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
However, because Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania already have automatic qualification as hosts, only one more team from each of their respective groups will advance.
The qualification matches will be played across three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027.
Defending African heavyweights and continental giants were spread across the 12 groups, setting the stage for exciting encounters during the qualifiers.
Group A features Morocco, Gabon, Niger and Lesotho, while seven-time AFCON champions Egypt headline Group B together with Angola, Malawi and South Sudan.
In Group C, Côte d’Ivoire will battle Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia, while Group E consists of DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.
Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania and the Central African Republic make up Group F, with Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia and Congo placed in Group G.
Elsewhere, Algeria, Zambia, Togo and Burundi were drawn in Group I. Group J will see Senegal face Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Group K consists of Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda and Liberia, while Group L features Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.
The qualification matches are expected to deliver thrilling contests as African nations chase the opportunity to feature at the first-ever AFCON tournament jointly hosted by three East African countries.
Football fans across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will now eagerly await the start of the qualifiers as preparations continue for the historic 2027 championship.
Transformative opportunity
For Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, hosting the tournament is seen as a transformative opportunity to improve infrastructure, strengthen tourism, attract investment, and showcase East Africa’s football culture to the rest of the continent and the world.
However, before the excitement of packed stadiums arrives in June 2027, African nations must first navigate a demanding qualification campaign.
And with Tuesday’s draw in Cairo, the journey toward East Africa officially gets underway.