2027 Africa Cup of Nations Predictions & Tips
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The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be the 36th edition of the tournament, the first to be hosted by three countries. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the event from 19 June to 18 July.
The tournament will also be the last to be held in odd-numbered years, AFCON becoming a quadrennial tournament from 2028 onwards.
AFCON 2027 is expected to be held at 12 stadiums, five of them being built to accommodate the tournament. Three of the venues are set to be in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Senegal are the defending champions having beaten hosts Morocco in the 2025 final. It was the Lions of Teranga's second victory in the previous three events.
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Teams
There will be 24 teams competing in the tournament. Hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will be 21 teams from the qualifying groups.
Qualification
Qualification begins on 23 March 2026. Teams ranked 1st to 42nd in the FIFA World Ranking received a bye to the group stage.
Teams ranked 43rd to 54th participate in the preliminary round.
| Round | Matchday | Dates |
| Preliminary round | First leg | 25-31 March 2026 |
| Preliminary round | Second leg | 25-31 March 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 21 September - 6 October 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 21 September - 6 October 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 21 September - 6 October 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 21 September - 6 October 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 9-17 November 2026 |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 9-17 November 2026 |
Venues
The tournament i expected to be played at 12 venues in 10 cities across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It was initially reported that each host nation would provide three stadiums.
| Country | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam | Benjamin Mkapa Stadium | 60,000 |
| Tanzania | Arusha | Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium (New) | 30,000 |
| Tanzania | Dodoma | Dodoma Stadium (New) | 32,000 |
| Tanzania | Zanzibar | Amaan Stadium | 15,000 |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Talanta Sports Stadium (New) | 60,000 |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Moi International Sports Centre | 55,000 |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Nyayo National Stadium | 30,000 |
| Kenya | Kakamega | Bukhungu Stadium | 25,000 |
| Kenya | Eldoret | Kipchoge Keino Stadium | 15,000 |
| Uganda | Hoima | Hoima City Stadium (New) | 20,000 |
| Uganda | Lira | Akii Bua Stadium (New) | 20,000 |
| Uganda | Kampala | Mandela National Stadium | 60,000 |
Schedule
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday 19 June with the final set to be played on Sunday 18 July.
Africa Cup of Nations Finals
Egypt have won the tournament a record seven times, Cameroon next best with five. Ivory Coast won on home soil in 2023, the first time a home nation had won since Egypt in 2006.
Senegal are the defending champions after beating hosts Morocco in the 2025 final. It was the Lions of Teranga's second victory in four years having lifted the trophy in 2021.
| Edition | Year | Host | Champion | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 2028 | tbc | tbc | tbc | tbc |
| 36 | 2027 | Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda | tbc | tbc | tbc |
| 35 | 2025 | Morocco | Senegal | 1-0 (aet) | Morocco |
| 34 | 2023 | Ivory Coast | Ivory Coast | 2-1 | Nigeria |
| 33 | 2021 | Cameroon | Senegal | 0-0 (4-2 p) | Egypt |
| 32 | 2019 | Egypt | Algeria | 1-0 | Senegal |
| 31 | 2017 | Gabon | Cameroon | 2-1 | Egypt |
| 30 | 2015 | Equatorial Guinea | Ivory Coast | 0-0 (9-8 p) | Ghana |
| 29 | 2013 | South Africa | Nigeria | 1-0 | Burkina Faso |
| 28 | 2012 | Gabon & Equatorial Guinea | Zambia | 0-0 (8-7 p) | Ivory Coast |
| 27 | 2010 | Angola | Egypt | 1-0 | Ghana |
| 26 | 2008 | Ghana | Egypt | 1-0 | Cameroon |
| 25 | 2006 | Egypt | Egypt | 0-0 (4-2 p) | Ivory Coast |
| 24 | 2004 | Tunisia | Tunisia | 2-1 | Morocco |
| 23 | 2002 | Mali | Cameroon | 0-0 (3-2 p) | Senegal |
| 22 | 2000 | Ghana & Nigeria | Cameroon | 2-2 (4-3 p) | Nigeria |
| 21 | 1998 | Burkina Faso | Egypt | 2-0 | South Africa |
| 20 | 1996 | South Africa | South Africa | 2-0 | Tunisia |
| 19 | 1994 | Tunisia | Nigeria | 2-1 | Zambia |
| 18 | 1992 | Senegal | Ivory Coast | 0-0 (11-10 p) | Ghana |
| 17 | 1990 | Algeria | Algeria | 1-0 | Nigeria |
| 16 | 1988 | Morocco | Cameroon | 1-0 | Nigeria |
| 15 | 1986 | Egypt | Egypt | 0-0 (5-4 p) | Cameroon |
| 14 | 1984 | Ivory Coast | Cameroon | 3-1 | Nigeria |
| 13 | 1982 | Libya | Ghana | 1-1 (7-6 p) | Libya |
| 12 | 1980 | Nigeria | Nigeria | 3-0 | Algeria |
| 11 | 1978 | Ghana | Ghana | 2-0 | Uganda |
| 10 | 1976 | Ethiopia | Morocco | round-robin | Guinea |
| 9 | 1974 | Egypt | Zaire | 2-2 (2-0 re) | Zambia |
| 8 | 1972 | Cameroon | Congo | 3-2 | Mali |
| 7 | 1970 | Sudan | Sudan | 1-0 | Ghana |
| 6 | 1968 | Ethiopia | Congo-Kinshasa | 1-0 | Ghana |
| 5 | 1965 | Tunisia | Ghana | 3-2 (aet) | Tunisia |
| 4 | 1963 | Ghana | Ghana | 3-0 | Sudan |
| 3 | 1962 | Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 4-2 (aet) | United Arab Republic |
| 2 | 1959 | Egypt | United Arab Republic | round-robin | Sudan |
| 1 | 1957 | Sudan | Egypt | 4-0 | Ethiopia |
2027 Africa Cup of Nations FAQ
When is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations being played?
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be played from 19 June to 18 July.
Where is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations being played?
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is being played in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
How many teams are playing in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations?
There are 24 teams playing in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations including hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Where is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations final being played?
The venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations final is yet to be announced.
When is the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations final being played?
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations final will be played on Sunday 18 July.
