2027 Africa Cup Qualifiers - Group Stage - 2nd Matches

2027 Africa Cup Qualifiers | Group Stage 2nd matches

Qualifiers Kick Off As Giants Make Their Move

The race for the 24 spots at the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 is underway. 48 nations are battling across 12 groups for a place at next summer's tournament in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

THE OPENING STATEMENTS
Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria all made winning starts as the continent's heavyweights served early notice. Hervé Renard's Côte d'Ivoire were the headline act, cruising to a composed 2:0 derby win over Ghana, while Cameroon put on a show in Garoua with a 3:1 victory over Comoros. In Group D, South Africa made the perfect start, topping the table with three points ahead.

NOT EVERYONE HAD IT EASY
Egypt were held to a 0:0 draw at home by Angola in Cairo, and Patrick Vieira's first game in charge of Senegal also ended in disappointment with a 1:1 draw against Mozambique. Guinea-Bissau produced the round's biggest shock, stunning tournament co-hosts Tanzania with a 2:0 away win. 

WHAT'S NEXT
Matchdays 1 and 2 wrap up by October 6, with the campaign resuming in a November window before concluding in March 2027. In groups without a host nation, only the top two finishers punch their ticket. With the finals marking East Africa's first AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) in over 50 years, every group between now and March is shaping up to be box-office.