Three nations have already booked their places at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after being confirmed as co-hosts of the tournament, even though one of them did not feature at the ongoing 2025/26 edition.

The current AFCON is being staged in Morocco, where hosts Morocco are set to clash with Senegal in the final on Sunday, January 18, in Rabat. Senegal, powered by stars such as Sadio Mané, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye, are chasing a second continental title after their triumph in 2022.

Morocco, on the other hand, are dreaming of a fairytale victory on home soil. Led by Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, the Atlas Lions are hoping to lift the AFCON trophy for the first time since 1976, buoyed by strong support from home fans.

Earlier, attention turned to the third-place playoff on Saturday, January 17, where Nigeria defeated Egypt 4–2 in Casablanca, leaving Mohamed Salah and the Pharaohs to settle for fourth place.

As expected, the latter stages of the tournament have been dominated by West and North African nations. Nigeria and Senegal have carried West Africa’s hopes, while Egypt and Morocco have represented North Africa.

East Africa, however, once again endured a challenging campaign. Ethiopia, champions in 1962, and Sudan, winners in 1970, remain the only East African countries to have ever lifted the AFCON trophy.

Despite recent disappointments, the region has plenty to anticipate. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking a landmark moment for East African football.

The expanded 24-team tournament will take place across 12 venues in ten cities between June and July 2027, shining a continental spotlight on the region.

Three Countries Already Qualified for AFCON 2027

As co-hosts, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have all secured automatic qualification for the 36th edition of Africa’s premier football competition. Unlike traditional powerhouses such as Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco—who must battle through qualifiers starting in March 2026—the three East African hosts will bypass the qualification process.

Tanzania and Uganda both participated in the 2025/26 AFCON but failed to make an impact, ending the group stage without a single win. They finished third and fourth respectively in Group C, behind Nigeria and Tunisia. Kenya, meanwhile, did not qualify for the current tournament and last appeared at the AFCON finals in 2019.

Looking ahead, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has also announced that AFCON will switch to a four-year cycle from 2028, while a new African Nations League is set to be introduced as an annual competition.