Africa: Everything You Need to Know About TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Pamoja 2027

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 will be one of the most significant tournaments in the history of African football, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda set to jointly host the competition.

It will be the first AFCON to be staged by three countries, marking a major moment for East African football and for the wider continent.

The opening match will be played on Saturday, 19 June 2027, while the final is scheduled for Saturday, 17 July 2027.

Twenty-four teams are expected to compete for the continental title, with the three host nations qualifying automatically.

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Although the stadiums and host cities are yet to be officially confirmed, the tournament already carries huge sporting, cultural and economic significance.

Here are the key things to know about TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027.

What is TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027:

The tournament is the next edition of Africa's flagship men's national team football competition. It will bring together the best teams on the continent to compete for the title of African champions. The word "PAMOJA" means "together" in Swahili, reflecting the spirit of unity behind the joint hosting by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is a powerful name for a tournament being staged across three East African nations with shared history, culture and football passion.

The competition will begin on Saturday, 19 June 2027, with the opening match. The final will be played on Saturday, 17 July 2027. These dates give the tournament a clear one-month window and allow CAF, the hosts, teams, broadcasters and supporters to plan well in advance. The exact match schedule, venues and kick-off times will be announced later by CAF.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will jointly host the tournament. This makes AFCON PAMOJA 2027 historic because it will be the first edition of the Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It is also a major breakthrough for East Africa, a region that has long had passionate football support but has not hosted AFCON for many decades.

Why the tournament is historic for East Africa:

CAF has described the 2027 tournament as the return of AFCON to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976. That makes PAMOJA 2027 more than just another tournament. It is a chance for the region to showcase its football culture, infrastructure, hospitality, tourism and growing ambition on the continental stage.

The 2027 tournament is expected to be the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. The competition has grown from a small tournament involving a few nations into one of the biggest football events in the world. PAMOJA 2027 will continue that evolution, with three countries sharing responsibility for delivering Africa's biggest football showpiece.

Twenty-four teams are expected to qualify for the final tournament. This is the same modern AFCON format used in recent editions, allowing a wider spread of African nations to compete. The expanded format gives traditional powerhouses, rising teams and emerging football nations a chance to reach the finals and test themselves against the best on the continent.

Will the host nations qualify automatically:

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are guaranteed places at the finals as co-hosts. However, they will still take part in the qualification campaign. This means their matches will still matter for group standings, but their presence at the final tournament is already secured. Their automatic qualification also affects how teams qualify from groups that contain one of the host nations.

A total of 48 teams, including the three co-hosts, will take part in the main qualifying group stage. They will be drawn into 12 groups of four teams each. In most groups, the top two teams will qualify for the finals. However, in the groups containing Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda, only the highest-ranked team outside the host country will qualify because the host nation is already guaranteed a place.

The qualifiers will be played across three FIFA international windows. Matchdays 1 and 2 will take place from 21 September to 6 October 2026. Matchdays 3 and 4 will be played from 9 to 17 November 2026. Matchdays 5 and 6 will be played from 22 to 30 March 2027. By the end of March 2027, the full line-up for the tournament is expected to be known.

· What happened in the preliminary round:

Before the main group stage, lower-ranked teams took part in a preliminary round to decide who would join the highest-ranked nations in the qualifiers. The winners of those ties advanced to join the main qualifying stage. This system gives lower-ranked countries a pathway into the competition while ensuring the group phase includes 48 teams.

The traditional giants of African football will be expected to reach the finals, although qualification in Africa is rarely simple. Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, DR Congo and Burkina Faso will all be among the teams watched closely. Recent AFCON tournaments have shown that reputations alone are not enough, and emerging nations such as Cape Verde, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and The Gambia have proved they can trouble bigger names.

Morocco will be one of the headline teams after their historic World Cup semi-final run in 2022 and continued rise in African football. Côte d'Ivoire will be closely followed after their recent AFCON success. Senegal remain one of the strongest and most balanced teams on the continent. Nigeria will always carry expectation because of their talent pool, while Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon and Ghana bring deep tournament history. South Africa, Mali, DR Congo and Tunisia could also be serious contenders if they qualify.

The tournament could feature some of Africa's biggest names if their countries qualify. Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi, Victor Osimhen, Sadio Mane, Mohammed Kudus, Serhou Guirassy, Riyad Mahrez, Ademola Lookman, Nicolas Jackson, Simon Adingra, Amine Gouiri, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Ronwen Williams are among the players who could attract major attention. By 2027, a new generation of African talent may also emerge, making the tournament a platform for both established stars and future global names.

For Kenya, hosting AFCON will be a major football and national moment. The Harambee Stars will have the chance to compete at home in front of passionate supporters. The tournament could also accelerate investment in stadiums, training facilities, transport, tourism and football development. Kenya will want to use the competition to strengthen its domestic game and inspire a new generation of players.