Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana headline eight-match start to 2027 AFCON qualifying

The race to reach the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with eight qualifying matches taking place across the continent.

The opening fixture is scheduled for 13:00 GMT, when Namibia face Congo. The day’s headline game comes at 19:00 GMT as Cote d’Ivoire take on Ghana.

RD Congo, Cameroon and Tunisia are also in action during the first round of matches.

Thursday’s fixtures

All times are GMT:

- 13:00 – Namibia v Congo - 16:00 – Libya v Botswana - 16:00 – RD Congo v Equatorial Guinea - 17:00 – Mauritania v Central African Republic - 19:00 – Cote d’Ivoire v Ghana - 19:00 – Cameroon v Comoros - 19:00 – Tunisia v Uganda - 20:00 – Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe