Ghana Drawn With Ivory Coast In AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

By Eppe Franklyne

The AFCON 2027 qualifiers produced a major showdown after Ghana and Ivory Coast were placed in the same group during Tuesday’s draw in Cairo. Group C also includes Gambia and Somalia, with only the top two teams advancing after six matchdays between September and March.

The clash between four-time African champions Ghana and three-time winners Ivory Coast is one of the standout fixtures in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Ghana entered the draw as a second seed based on the latest FIFA world rankings.

Cape Verde, one of Africa’s surprise qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, will face Mali, Rwanda and Liberia in Group K. Their qualification ahead of Cameroon remains one of the biggest shocks in African football.

South Africa landed in Group D alongside Guinea, co-host Kenya and Eritrea. Since Kenya qualifies automatically as co-host, the remaining sides will compete for one available place.

Nigeria also faces a difficult path in Group L with Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, while co-host Tanzania already holds an automatic spot.

The AFCON 2027 qualifiers come amid continuing debate over the previous tournament, where Morocco was later awarded the 2025 title after an appeal involving Senegal. Senegal has since taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Which country do you think will emerge as favourites for the 2027 AFCON title?