The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 is scheduled for May 19, this year.

The regional football governing body announced this in a formal statement, indicating that the draw will be the determining factor to know which groups will qualify for the tournament next year, which will be hosted across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, under the banner “Pamoja”, a Swahili word meaning “together.”

A total of 48 national teams are expected to participate in the draw, with each team placed into one of 12 groups of four, where they will compete for spots in the final tournament.

The format is expected to produce a highly competitive campaign, as traditional football powerhouses and emerging nations battle for continental slots.

Ahead of the draw, CAF has already arranged fixtures scheduled for three international breaks. September to October 2026, November 2026, and March 2027. These periods will determine the final lineup of teams heading to East Africa for what is expected to be a historic edition of the tournament.

As the countdown to the draw begins, attention now shifts to the group pairings, a moment that could shape the fortunes of several nations on their journey to AFCON 2027.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, Ghana is set to host the 2027 U-20 Boys Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

This was confirmed by the President of the football governing body, Kurt Okraku, yesterday, Sunday, April 26, in a Facebook post.

The post read, “ 2027 U-20 boys AFCON to be hosted by Ghana”.

Ghana hosting the tournament again next year will mark the second time it has hosted since it last did in 1999, when it was known as the African Youth Championship, two decades after the tournament’s inception in 1979.

On that occasion, the Black Satellites reached the final but finished as runners-up to Nigeria.

Since then, Ghana has remained a strong force in the competition, most recently winning its fourth title in 2021. However, the country has not had the opportunity to host the tournament again until now.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, the recent AFCON competition at the senior team level was plagued by several controversies, prompting the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, to travel to Senegal to meet the country’s president and football authorities over the disputed AFCON title.

The 2025 AFCON final was played on 18 January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, between Senegal and Morocco, where the former won by a goal.

The game, which was plagued by several incidents, including disputed refereeing decisions, VAR controversies and crowd disturbances, was later appealed by Morocco. The North Africans won the case after CAF’s Appeals Committee controversially overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory and the title.

The move was met with widespread disapproval and disappointment, with many slamming CAF’s credibility and calling it a“disgrace for Africa.” The Senegalese authorities openly defied the ruling by displaying the trophy in Paris.

Following this, the CAF President Patrice Motsepe has arrived in Senegal in an attempt to quell tensions and clear any misconceptions of bias after the AFCON 2025 title strip.

He is expected to meet the Senegalese Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, Mr Abdoulaye Fall, on the working visit.