Road to AFCON Pamoja 2027 Kicks Off as Preliminary Round Draw Sets the Stage

The long journey to the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON Pamoja 2027, has officially begun following the release of the Preliminary Round draw, setting up a series of intriguing two-legged battles across the continent.

With dreams of continental glory on the line, 12 nations will contest six ties for a place in the main qualification rounds, where Africa’s heavyweights already await. The home-and-away format promises high drama, as every goal could prove decisive in the quest to stay on the road to the finals.

The fixtures for the Preliminary Round are:

Djibouti vs South SudanChad vs BurundiSomalia vs MauritiusSeychelles vs LesothoEritrea vs EswatiniSão Tomé vs Ethiopia

For many of these nations, the Preliminary Round represents both a challenge and an opportunity — a chance to build momentum, belief and visibility on the continental stage. Ethiopia, one of the more established sides in this phase, will be keen to avoid any slip-ups against São Tomé, while other ties such as Chad against Burundi and Djibouti versus South Sudan promise tightly contested encounters.

CAF confirmed that the winners of these two-legged ties will progress to the main qualification rounds, where the intensity and quality will rise another level. As the race to Pamoja 2027 gathers pace, Africa’s footballing map is once again set to be redrawn — one qualifying match at a time.