The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the system adopted for the draw for the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the thirty-sixth edition of the oldest continental tournament, which is scheduled to be hosted by the three East African countries: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, in an exceptional sporting event known as the "Bamoga" file.
Details of the preliminary round and participating teams
In an official statement published on its digital platforms, CAF clarified that the draw for the preliminary round will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. This step marks the beginning of the long journey towards the finals, as the preliminary round is limited to the 12 lowest-ranked teams according to the latest FIFA rankings, while 42 teams have been exempted from this round and have qualified directly for the group stage.
The teams competing in the preliminary round include Lesotho, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles, and Eritrea. This stage represents a crucial opportunity for these teams to improve their international rankings and compete for a place among the continent's elite.
The draw mechanism and the level system
The African Union adopted a precise draw system based on dividing the 12 teams into two equal pots:
- Pot 1: Contains the six highest-ranked teams among the participants in this round, namely: Lesotho, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, South Sudan, and Mauritius.
- Pot 2: Contains the six lowest-ranked teams, namely: Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles, and Eritrea.
The system stipulates that each team drawn from Pot 1 will meet its counterpart from Pot 2, to determine six direct home-and-away matches, with the first leg matches to be held at the stadiums of the lower-ranked teams (Pot 2).
The road to the East African finals
Following the preliminary round, the six qualifying teams will join the 42 teams that received byes, completing the 48-team field. These teams will then be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the finals.
This event is of particular importance as it paves the way for a historic edition being held for the first time jointly organized by three countries in the east of the continent, reflecting the development of sports infrastructure in the region and the African Union's endeavor to expand the scope of competition and attract new fans throughout the African continent.
