Eritrea will break an 18-year hiatus from the Africa Cup of Nations by welcoming Eswatini in the Moroccan city of Meknes on Wednesday, marking the first qualifier for the 2027 tournament.
The Preliminary Round qualifiers begin this week, with twelve teams competing for six spots in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027.
Eritrea needs a positive outcome over two legs to advance into the group stage of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Twelve of the lower-ranked teams will face off in two-legged matchups, battling for a chance to progress to the group stage playoffs, following a draw that took place in January.
After the success of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, this fresh cycle kicks off as teams aim for a place in next year’s finals hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Exciting matches are expected, starting on March 25 at Stade d’Honneur when Eritrea and Eswatini meet in Meknes. Eswatini will then host the return leg on March 31 at the Somhlolo National Stadium.
Lesotho will take on Seychelles at the Free State Stadium on March 26, with a rematch three days later. Djibouti and South Sudan will clash at Juba Stadium, and on March 26, Somalia plays Mauritius in Matola, before the return leg in Saint Pierre on March 31.
Chad and Burundi will meet in N’Djamena on March 27, also playing a competitive return leg in Bujumbura. Lastly, Sao Tome e Principe faces Ethiopia on March 27, with the second leg in Dire Dawa on March 31.
The six teams advancing from this qualification phase will join the other 42 CAF Member Associations in the finals next year.
TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round Fixtures
Times are GMT
25/03 – 14h00: Érythrée vs Eswatini – Stade d’Honneur, Meknès
31/03 – 14h00: Eswatini vs Eritrea – Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba
26/03 – 14h00: Seychelles vs Lesotho – Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
29/03 – 15h00: Lesotho vs Seychelles – Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
26/03 – 13h00: Djibouti vs South Sudan – Juba Stadium, Juba
29/03 – 13h00: South Sudan vs Djibouti – Juba Stadium, Juba
27/03 – 13h00: Somalia vs Mauritius – Lalgy Arena, Matola
31/03 – 15h00: Mauritius vs Somalia – National Sports Complex, Saint Pierre
27/03 – 13h00: Tchad vs Burundi – Stade Olympique, N’Djamena
31/03 – 13h00: Burundi vs Chad – Stade Intwari, Bujumbura
27/03 – 16h00: Sao Tome e Principe vs Ethiopia – Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium, El Jadida
31/03 – 13h00: Ethiopia vs Sao Tome e Principe – Dire Dawa Stadium
