AFCON 2027 Qualification Process Explained Amid Funding Issues in Kenya

The preliminary rounds of AFCON 2027 qualification will begin on Wednesday, with lower-ranked teams facing off

21 teams will fight for the remaining tickets to join the hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the 36th edition of the tournament

Meanwhile, Sports CS Salim Mvurya has addressed the funding issues that threaten to derail Kenya's preparations

The race to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will kick off on Wednesday as teams battle to qualify for the biggest football continental tournament.

Kenya is set to co-host the tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania, with the bar set so high after a successful edition in Morocco.

AFCON 2027 qualification process explained

The qualification process will begin in the preliminary rounds, where the bottom 12-ranked teams according to the latest FIFA rankings were divided into two pots.

The six highest-ranked teams will face the bottom-ranked teams, with the first leg held at the home venue of the latter teams.

AFCON 2027 qualifiers

The six highest-ranked teams are Lesotho, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, South Sudan, and Mauritius, while the bottom-ranked teams are Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles and Eritrea. The draw was done on January 13.

Djibouti vs South Sudan

Chad vs Burundi

Somalia vs Mauritius

Seychelles vs Lesotho

Eritrea vs Eswatini

São Tomé and Príncipe vs Ethiopia

What's next after the preliminary rounds for AFCON 2027?

The winners of the six match-ups of the preliminary rounds will join the rest of the 42 teams, who have qualified automatically for the group stage draw of the qualifiers.

CAF is yet to announce the next steps of the qualification process, but it is most likely that the 48 teams will be drawn into 12 groups. The top two teams in each group, making 24, will then qualify for the tournament.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will qualify automatically for the tournament as hosts, which means they will only participate in the qualifiers as a formality.

Will Kenya be ready for AFCON 2027?

Meanwhile, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has moved in to allay funding fears, reiterating that Kenya will be ready to host the tournament.

The government is yet to pay the KSh 3.9 billion hosting fees, and renovation works have stalled in some grounds.

"I wish to reaffirm that the Government of Kenya remains fully committed to the successful hosting of AFCON 2027. The Ministry is working very closely with the National Treasury and National Assembly to address pending financial requirements through the supplementary budget process, ensuring that we remain firmly on course in our preparations," said Mvurya on Monday morning.

Comparing cost of Talanta Stadium to stadiums at AFCON 2025

Separately, we compared the cost of building Talanta Stadium to the stadiums Morocco used for AFCON 2025.

The government is building an ultra-modern stadium along Ngong Road, which will be used for AFCON 2027.

The stadium, which will be known as Raila Odinga after completion, doesn't have an athletics track.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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