Ghana has been drawn with Ivory Coast in a challenging qualifying group for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.
The Black Stars, who fell in the world rankings after failing to qualify for the last tournament in Morocco, were placed in a lower seed category for this draw.
In Group C, alongside Ghana and Ivory Coast, the teams will also contend with The Gambia, which reached the quarter-finals in their AFCON debut in 2021, and Somalia.
Max-Alain Gradel, a former Ivory Coast international who celebrated the trophy victory with the Elephants in 2022 and assisted in the draw held in Cairo, commented on the tough group, saying, “Why always us? This group is a difficult group. But we will do everything we can to qualify. I believe in the team, so there is no problem.”
The next AFCON, set to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
A total of 48 teams participating in the qualifiers have been divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group moving on after a total of six rounds of matches. However, the path to qualification is complicated as the three host nations are guaranteed spots in the tournament, meaning only one additional team from each of their respective groups can qualify.
Teams such as Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia face narrow margins for error, having been drawn in groups with one of the co-hosts.
Kenya will compete against Eritrea, Guinea, and South Africa in Group A. Meanwhile, seven-time champions Egypt are set to face Angola, Malawi, and South Sudan.
Qualifying matches will begin in September 2026 and continue through March 2027, with the first four rounds taking place over the months of September, October, and November this year before concluding with the final two fixtures in March next year.
Groups for AFCON 2027 Qualifying
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia
Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo-Brazzaville
Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau
Matchdays one and two: September 21 – October 6, 2026
Matchdays three and four: November 9 – 17, 2026
Matchdays five and six: March 22 – 30, 2027