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PAMOJA 2027 AFCON: 6 nations eye progress from preliminary round
25th March, 2026 06:49 PM
-The journey toward securing a slot at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania officially gets underway this week, with the preliminary qualification stage setting the tone for the competition.
A total of 12 nations will compete for just six available spots in the next phase.
These teams, ranked lowest in the FIFA standings at the time of the January draw, will face off in two-legged ties, with aggregate winners advancing to the group stage qualifiers.
Following the success of the 2025 edition in Morocco, a fresh qualification campaign now begins for the next tournament, which will be jointly hosted in East Africa.
The opening round features fixtures across Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa, promising closely fought encounters as teams aim to gain an early edge ahead of the return legs.
Road to AFCON PAMOJA 2027
Eritrea will take on Eswatini in the first leg scheduled for 25 March at Stade d’Honneur in Meknes, before the second leg shifts to Lobamba at Somhlolo National Stadium on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
Lesotho and Seychelles will clash twice at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, meeting first on Thursday, March 26, 2026, and again three days later at the same venue.
Djibouti and South Sudan will square off in a unique tie where both matches will be played at Juba Stadium, giving South Sudan a distinct home advantage. Their first meeting is set for Thursday, March 26, followed by the return leg on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Somalia will face Mauritius in the first encounter on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Lalgy Arena in Matola, with the reverse fixture slated for Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the National Sports Complex in Saint Pierre.
Chad will host Burundi on Friday, March 27, 2026, in N’Djamena, before travelling to Bujumbura for the decisive second leg on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, Sao Tome and Principe will play Ethiopia in El Jadida on Friday, March 27, with the return leg taking place in Dire Dawa on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
At the end of this stage, the six victorious teams will move on to join 42 other CAF member associations in the group phase qualifiers, continuing the road to the 2027 continental showpiece.
