Black Stars Face Côte d’Ivoire Test in Group C of AFCON 2027 Qualifiers
Ghana’s Black Stars will face Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia in Group C of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo.
The Confederation of African Football confirmed the full qualifying draw at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters, with 48 national teams placed into 12 groups of four for the race to the continental tournament.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027, making it the first edition of the tournament to be staged by three countries in East Africa.
For Ghana, Group C presents one of the most competitive paths to qualification. Côte d’Ivoire enter as one of Africa’s strongest football nations and recent continental champions, while The Gambia have become an increasingly difficult opponent in recent AFCON cycles. Somalia complete the group as underdogs but will be looking to disrupt the established order.
The Black Stars will be seeking to restore continental credibility after missing out on the previous edition in Morocco. For a four-time African champion, qualification for the 2027 tournament will be regarded not as a bonus, but as a minimum expectation.
One of the major subplots of the draw is in Group D, where Kenya coach Benni McCarthy is set to face South Africa, the country for which he remains one of the most celebrated former players. Guinea and Eritrea complete that group.
Morocco headline Group A alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho, while Egypt will face Angola, Malawi and South Sudan in Group B. Cameroon have been drawn in Group G with Comoros, Namibia and Congo, while Nigeria will face Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in Group L.
The qualification series will be played across three international windows. Matchdays One and Two are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, 2026; Matchdays Three and Four will take place from November 9 to 17, 2026; and the final two rounds will be played from March 22 to 30, 2027.
Because Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already qualified automatically as hosts, only one additional team from each of their respective groups will qualify for the finals.
For Ghana, the draw provides both a challenge and a clear test of the Black Stars’ rebuilding process. The matches against Côte d’Ivoire will carry obvious heavyweight appeal, but the campaign may ultimately be shaped by consistency against The Gambia and Somalia, where dropped points could prove costly.
The road to East Africa has now been defined. For the Black Stars, the task is equally clear: avoid another qualifying disappointment and reassert Ghana’s place among Africa’s elite.
Full AFCON 2027 Qualifier Groups
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire, 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
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
