The Confederation of African Football confirmed that the tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with the opening match set for Saturday, 19 June 2027, and the final scheduled for Saturday, 17 July 2027.
“The opening match will be played on Saturday, 19 June 2027, and the final on Saturday, 17 July 2027,” CAF stated in its announcement.
CAF said the schedule was approved by the FIFA Council in Vancouver, Canada, adding that the venue for both the opening game and the final will be revealed later.
The 2027 edition will be the first AFCON jointly hosted by three countries, a move CAF says will expand the tournament’s reach across East Africa.
On the qualifiers, CAF confirmed that the preliminary round has been completed, with the draw for the next phase set for 19 May 2026.
A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will compete in the qualifiers, which will be played across three FIFA international windows.
“The Qualifiers will be played across the three FIFA International Windows. Matchdays 1 and 2: 21 September to 6 October 2026.
“Matchdays 3 and 4: 9 to 17 November 2026; Matchdays 5 and 6: 22 to 30 March 2027,” the statement added.
CAF also explained that the teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the tournament.
The 2027 AFCON will mark a return to East Africa for the first time since 1976, when Ethiopia hosted the competition.