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The battle for qualification to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 resumes this week, with 48 matches scheduled across the continent between Thursday, November 12 and Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
The third and fourth rounds of qualifying will see several of Africa’s leading football nations face potentially decisive encounters as teams look to strengthen their positions before the final qualification window in March 2027.
Among the headline fixtures are clashes involving Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia, Mali and Rwanda, as well as Senegal and Sudan, with several groups still delicately poised.
The six-day international window could also offer struggling sides a chance to revive their campaigns, while teams that made perfect starts will be aiming to create greater separation at the top of their respective groups.
Group C is among the sections attracting significant attention, with both Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia entering the third round with maximum points.
The Elephants, now coached by returning boss Hervé Renard, will welcome Gambia in Bouaké on Thursday before travelling to Bakau for the reverse fixture five days later.
The two matches could prove crucial in determining which side finishes in a qualifying position.
Ghana will also be under pressure in the same group when they take on Somalia home and away. The Black Stars cannot afford another setback if they are to remain firmly in contention for a place at the finals.
Another highly anticipated contest comes from Group K, where Mali and Rwanda have each collected six points from their opening two matches.
The two nations will meet in Bamako before playing the return encounter in Kigali.
Cabo Verde, meanwhile, will be looking to consolidate their position when they face Liberia twice. The island nation enters the campaign on the back of its historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In Group J, Senegal will meet Sudan twice in fixtures that could significantly alter the standings.
The Lions of Teranga have four points from their first two games, while Sudan trail them by just one point.
Mozambique, also sitting on four points, will face Ethiopia home and away and will hope to remain in the hunt for qualification.
Morocco will attempt to maintain their 100 per cent record in Group A when they take on Niger on November 13 and again on November 17.
Egypt will face Malawi in Group B as the seven-time African champions begin a new chapter under recently appointed coach Ali Maher.
Angola, who have four points, will meanwhile play South Sudan twice in the same group.
Group D will provide another important contest when South Africa face co-hosts Kenya.
Bafana Bafana have won their opening two matches and sit on six points, while Kenya will be guided by former South African international striker Benni McCarthy.
DR Congo are also unbeaten with a perfect six-point haul in Group E and will face Sierra Leone twice.
Other notable fixtures include Cameroon against Namibia in Group G, Tunisia versus Libya in Group H and Algeria’s meetings with Togo in Group I.
Nigeria’s qualification campaign could enter a critical phase when the Super Eagles meet co-hosts Tanzania in Group L.
Nigeria have three points from their first two matches, leaving them three behind leaders Guinea-Bissau, who will face Madagascar twice.
Although Tanzania have already secured their place at the tournament as one of the three hosts, Nigeria still need to finish ahead of the other competing teams in the group to qualify.
Group F remains closely contested, with Benin and Burkina Faso level at the summit before their respective matches against Central African Republic and Mauritania.
The Group I race is similarly open, with Zambia, Burundi, Togo and Algeria all involved in important fixtures.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already qualified automatically for AFCON PAMOJA 2027 because they are hosting the tournament.
In groups containing a host nation, only the highest-ranked team apart from the host will earn a qualification place. In the other groups, the top two finishers will advance to the continental finals.
The final qualification matches will be played in March 2027, when Matchdays 5 and 6 will determine the remaining teams heading to the tournament.
AFCON PAMOJA 2027 will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027, marking the first occasion on which the African Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by three countries.
With the qualification race entering an increasingly important stage, this week’s fixtures could provide a clearer picture of which nations are on course for the continental showpiece and which will face a difficult fight in the final rounds.
Group A: Gabon v Lesotho (November 13, 16:00 GMT), Morocco v Niger (November 13, 20:00)
Group B: Egypt v Malawi (November 13, 19:00), Angola v South Sudan (November 14, 19:00)
Group C: Ghana v Somalia (November 12, 15:00), Côte d’Ivoire v Gambia (November 12, 19:00)
Group D: Guinea v Eritrea (November 12, 16:00), South Africa v Kenya (November 13, 16:00)
Group E: DR Congo v Sierra Leone (November 12, 16:00), Equatorial Guinea v Zimbabwe (November 12, 16:00)
Group F: Benin v Central African Republic (November 12, 19:00), Burkina Faso v Mauritania (November 13, 16:00)
Group G: Cameroon v Namibia (November 12, 19:00), Comoros v Congo (November 13, 13:00)
Group H: Tunisia v Libya (November 13, 16:00), Uganda v Botswana (November 14, 16:00)
Group I: Zambia v Burundi (November 13, 13:00), Algeria v Togo (November 14, 19:00)
Group J: Senegal v Sudan (November 12, 19:00), Mozambique v Ethiopia (November 13, 13:00)
Group K: Cabo Verde v Liberia (November 13, 16:00), Mali v Rwanda (November 13, 19:00)
Group L: Madagascar v Guinea-Bissau (November 12, 16:00), Nigeria v Tanzania (November 13, 16:00)
Group A: Lesotho v Gabon (November 17, 13:00), Niger v Morocco (November 17, 20:00)
Group B: Malawi v Egypt (November 17, 13:00), South Sudan v Angola (November 17, 13:00)
Group C: Somalia v Ghana (November 16, 15:00), Gambia v Côte d’Ivoire (November 17, 16:00)
Group D: Eritrea v Guinea (November 16, 16:00), Kenya v South Africa (November 17, 16:00)
Group E: Zimbabwe v Equatorial Guinea (November 16, 13:00), Sierra Leone v DR Congo (November 17, 16:00)
Group F: Central African Republic v Benin (November 16, 16:00), Mauritania v Burkina Faso (November 17, 19:00)
Group G: Namibia v Cameroon (November 16, 13:00), Congo v Comoros (November 17, 19:00)
Group H: Libya v Tunisia (November 17, 16:00), Botswana v Uganda (November 17, 19:00)
Group I: Burundi v Zambia (November 17, 13:00), Togo v Algeria (November 17, 16:00)
Group J: Sudan v Senegal (November 16, 13:00), Ethiopia v Mozambique (November 17, 13:00)
Group K: Rwanda v Mali (November 17, 19:00), Liberia v Cabo Verde (November 17, 19:00)
Group L: Tanzania v Nigeria (November 17, 13:00), Guinea-Bissau v Madagascar (November 17, 16:00)
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