- 42 nations will compete for seven places alongside hosts Egypt at the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 AFCON 2027
- Three qualifying rounds to be played between September 2026 and March 2027
- Final tournament will form part of Africa's pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games
The pathway to the TotalEnergies CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2027 has been mapped out following the conclusion of the Qualifiers Draw at the headquarters of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday.
The Draw, conducted with the assistance of former Côte d'Ivoire international Abdoulaye Meite and former Egypt goalkeeper Nader El-Sayed, produced a number of intriguing ties as 42 nations begin their pursuit of the seven available places at the continental finals.
Hosts Egypt have qualified automatically for the eight-team final tournament, leaving the other nations to negotiate up to three rounds of home-and-away knockout matches.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The First Round will feature 28 teams in 14 two-legged ties, with the first legs scheduled for 20 September 2026 and the return fixtures on 06 October 2026.
Among the fixtures, Tunisia face Benin in an intriguing North versus West African contest, while Kenya take on Tanzania in an East African derby.
Sierra Leone will meet Burkina Faso, Mauritania take on DR Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe face Equatorial Guinea.
Click here to download the full schedule of matches and fixtures
The 14 winners from the First Round will advance to the Second Round, where they will be joined by 14 teams that received byes based on their performances at the previous three editions of the competition.
Zambia will face the winners of Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso, while Nigeria await the winners of Mauritania and DR Congo.
Ghana will enter against the winners of Togo and Libya, while Côte d'Ivoire will meet the winners of the East African contest between Kenya and Tanzania.
Morocco will face either Ethiopia or Uganda, Cameroon take on the winners of Rwanda and Sudan, and South Africa will meet either Comoros or Madagascar.
Other teams entering at this stage include Niger, Gabon, Senegal, Congo, Guinea, Algeria and Mali.
The Second Round first legs will be played on 09 November 2026, with the return matches scheduled for 17 November 2026.
The 14 nations that emerge from the Second Round will progress to the decisive Third Round, where seven two-legged ties will determine the teams that join Egypt at the finals.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The First Legs of the Third Round will be played on 22 March 2027, with the decisive return fixtures scheduled for 30 March 2027.
The seven aggregate winners will qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 AFCON Egypt 2027 alongside the hosts.
The TotalEnergies CAF U-23 AFCON Egypt 2027 will carry added significance as it forms part of Africa's pathway towards the Men's Olympic Football Tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
African nations have enjoyed a proud history in the Men's Olympic Football Tournament, with Nigeria becoming the continent's first men's football gold medallists at Atlanta 1996 before Cameroon followed with gold at Sydney 2000.
Nigeria remain Africa's most decorated nation in the men's Olympic football tournament, having also claimed silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.
Ghana made history at Barcelona 1992 when they became the first African nation to win an Olympic football medal, taking bronze.
For more information on the TotalEnergies CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, visit CAFOnline.com.
Further Enquiries:
CAF | Communication Department
