Africa: Legends Pick Out TotalEnergies CAF Africa Afcon Pamoja 2027 Qualifiers Group C As Pool of Death

The draw for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), PAMOJA 2027 Qualifiers was conducted on Tuesday afternoon in Cairo, unveiling a series of exciting qualification fixtures as East African neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania prepare to host the largest event on African soil.

African football legends Trésor Mputu, Max Gradel and Essam El Hadary have identified Group C as the 'Group of Death' in the qualifiers. The pool features former champions Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana alongside The Gambia and Somalia, all battling for two qualification slots.

"This is a very difficult group, but I believe we will do everything possible to qualify. We are Côte d'Ivoire and we know what it takes to get through," said Gradel, who was named in the Team of the Tournament when Les Éléphants lifted the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2015 title.

The same sentiments were echoed by DR Congo legend Mputu, who said:

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"Definitely, Group C is the Group of Death and we are going to have very tough and exciting fixtures."

El Hadary agreed, noting that the group could be decided by the finest of margins.

"This will be one of the toughest groups because Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire are very strong teams, and Gambia can also be dangerous," he said.

The legendary Egyptian goalkeeper, who won four TotalEnergies CAF AFCON titles with Egypt, also admitted that his country faces a competitive challenge after being drawn in Group B alongside Angola, Malawi and South Sudan.

"Egypt is not in an easy group, and a good amount of hard work will be needed to ensure we qualify comfortably," he noted.

East Africa will host the continent's premier football tournament for the first time in more than five decades, and excitement is already building following the draw, with the legends confident the competition will be a major success.

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