BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a landmark expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the continent’s flagship football tournament set to feature 28 teams for the first time beginning with the 2027 edition.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe unveiled the new format during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, describing the expansion as a major step toward broadening participation and accelerating the growth of football across Africa.
The decision increases the number of participating nations from the current 24 to 28, continuing CAF’s efforts to make the competition more inclusive.
The previous expansion, introduced ahead of the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, saw the tournament grow from 16 to 24 teams, resulting in increased competitiveness and greater representation from across the continent.
Under the newly approved format, the 28 qualified nations will be divided into seven groups of four teams during the group stage.
The winners and runners-up from each group will qualify automatically for the knockout phase, while the two best third-placed teams will complete the 16-team Round of 16 lineup.
According to Dr Motsepe, the expanded format is intended to provide more national teams with the opportunity to compete at the highest level while enhancing the quality, commercial appeal and global profile of African football.
The new system will debut at the 2027 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The tournament will also make history as the first AFCON to be staged in East Africa under a three-country hosting arrangement.
CAF believes the additional places will encourage greater investment in football development among its member associations and create fresh opportunities for emerging football nations to qualify for Africa’s biggest sporting event.
Meanwhile, attention is already turning to the qualification campaign, with the 2027 AFCON qualifiers scheduled to begin later this year. National teams across the continent, including the Black Stars, will battle for places in what will be the largest Africa Cup of Nations ever staged.
