AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Côte d'Ivoire–Ghana Headlines the Opening Groups A–C Battles
Photo: CAF
Morocco host Gabon, Egypt welcome Angola, and Côte d'Ivoire face Ghana as AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifying begins across Groups A, B and C.
The road to AFCON PAMOJA 2027 begins in earnest this week, and Groups A, B and C serve up some of the tournament's most eye-catching opening fixtures — Morocco, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana all face potentially testing tests in the space of a few days.
Forty-eight nations have been split into 12 groups of four, with the first two matchdays running 24 September to 6 October. Each group plays home-and-away across six matchdays; the top two in groups without a co-host qualify for the finals.
Group A: New-look Morocco open against Gabon
Morocco host Gabon in Rabat on 25 September, with new coach Mohamed Ouahbi already reshaping his squad — three uncapped youngsters, including 17-year-old Abdellah Ouazane, feature alongside established names like Yassine Bounou, Nayef Aguerd and Brahim Diaz. Captain Achraf Hakimi is suspended for the opening window, and several forwards including Youssef En-Nesyri are sidelined by injury.
Gabon are also entering a new era under Sébastien Migné, beginning life without retired former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Denis Bouanga, Mario Lemina and Guélor Kanga provide the experience in his first squad.
Niger and Lesotho meet in the group's other opener, before matchday two sees Gabon host Niger and Morocco travel to face Lesotho in Bloemfontein.
Group B: Egypt face a rising Angola
Record seven-time African champions Egypt begin their campaign against Angola at Cairo International Stadium — a fixture that could offer an early read on the battle for Group B's two qualification spots, since there's no automatic qualifier in this section. Angola have become increasingly competitive on the continental stage in recent years, making this a genuine litmus test rather than a formality.
Malawi and South Sudan complete the group and meet in the opening round. Egypt then travel to face South Sudan on 29 September, while Angola must wait until 6 October for their second fixture against Malawi.
Group C: Côte d'Ivoire host Ghana in the standout tie
The most eye-catching fixture across the entire opening round comes in Bouaké, where Côte d'Ivoire host Ghana — two former African champions, both rebuilding under different circumstances.
Hervé Renard has begun his second spell in charge of the Elephants with eight newcomers, including 19-year-old Patrick Zabi and Toulouse's Christ Tapé. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz, meanwhile, gets a significant boost: Mohammed Kudus returns after seven months out injured, having missed the 2026 World Cup entirely. Nathaniel Adjei, Ibrahim Osman and Ibrahim Sulemana are also back in the fold, alongside Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and Ernest Nuamah.
The Gambia and Somalia round out Group C, meeting in their own opener before The Gambia travel to Accra to face Ghana on 29 September. Côte d'Ivoire's second assignment is against Somalia.
Matchdays 1 & 2 fixtures
Group A: 25 Sept — Morocco v Gabon; Niger v Lesotho. 29 Sept — Gabon v Niger; Lesotho v Morocco.
Group B: 25 Sept — Egypt v Angola; Malawi v South Sudan. 29 Sept — South Sudan v Egypt. 6 Oct — Angola v Malawi.
Group C: 24 Sept — Côte d'Ivoire v Ghana. 25 Sept — The Gambia v Somalia. 29 Sept — Ghana v The Gambia; Somalia v Côte d'Ivoire.
Following these groups to East Africa
With little margin for a slow start across all three groups, the opening fixtures matter more than usual. Whichever teams make it through, the Cantravu Experience Card is the easiest way to fund a PAMOJA 2027 trip across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Fixture and squad information sourced from CAF's official announcements, 15–16 September 2026.
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