Schedule · Confirmed and unconfirmed

AFCON 2027: what is fixed, and what is not.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, separated into what CAF has confirmed and what is still open. Including the part most sites leave out.

Confirmed: the dates and the hosts

AFCON 2027 runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027. These dates are confirmed by CAF.

The opening match is on Saturday 19 June 2027 and the final on Saturday 17 July 2027. CAF has said it will announce where they are played in due course. In September 2026 CAF's president said all three hosts had bid for the opener.

It is the first three-country Africa Cup of Nations, hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the first in East Africa since 1976 - fifty-one years.

Not confirmed: the fixtures, and which team plays where

Qualifying began in September 2026 and ends with matchdays from 22 to 30 March 2027. The three hosts qualify automatically. The final draw follows the end of qualifying, and CAF has not yet set its date. Until that draw there is no fixture list and no team is assigned to a city.

One consequence worth knowing: a host's qualifying group sends only its best non-host team through. Nigeria is drawn in Tanzania's group, so only one of Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau can qualify from it.

Anyone publishing an AFCON 2027 fixture list today is guessing.

The venue risk nobody advertises

In February 2026 CAF found every proposed venue below standard. On 18 September 2026 CAF's president said there was 'no Plan B' and that he would return for a final assessment in January 2027.

Kenya said on 31 March 2026 it had paid its USD 30 million hosting fee to CAF. In May it said its stadiums needed another Sh11 billion, and Sh4 billion was allocated in June. Uganda's newer venues were reported further behind in April 2026, and Tanzania's were reported the furthest along in September. On 29 September 2026 several outlets, citing Le Monde, reported that CAF had sounded out possible standby hosts. Relocation of matches remains a real tail risk, concentrated on Kenya and Uganda.

There is progress too: Talanta in Nairobi, a 60,000-seat venue being renamed the Raila Odinga International Stadium, was reported 94 per cent complete in August 2026. We would simply rather you plan knowing both halves of that picture.

Common questions

When is AFCON 2027?

19 June to 17 July 2027, confirmed by CAF. CAF has not yet said which country hosts the opening match or the final.

Which countries host AFCON 2027?

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania host jointly. It is the first three-country Africa Cup of Nations and the first in East Africa since 1976.

When is the AFCON 2027 draw?

CAF has not set a date. Qualifying ends on 30 March 2027 and the final draw follows. No fixture city is known until then.

Could AFCON 2027 venues change?

It is possible. CAF found every proposed venue below standard in February 2026 and plans a final assessment in January 2027. Kenya said in March 2026 it had paid its hosting fee, but in May it said its stadiums needed another Sh11 billion, and Uganda's newer venues were further behind. CAF's president said in September 2026 that there is no Plan B.

Do I need a visa for AFCON 2027?

UK passport holders need an eTA for Kenya, applied for at least two weeks ahead, an e-visa for Tanzania, and a visa plus a yellow fever certificate for Uganda, according to UK government travel advice. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda but not Tanzania. A joint three-country tournament visa has been proposed but not introduced.

Nothing is on sale yet.

Twende 27 is a waitlist. No payment is taken and no place is held. Twende 27 never takes payment: when trips open, you book and pay licensed operators directly. Waitlist members hear first and set the itinerary.

Join the waitlist