New Era Dawns as Road to Afcon 2027 Kicks Off

The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations begins this week, with 48 nations contesting two rounds of qualifiers. The tournament, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will feature 24 teams, but with all three hosts already qualified, only one spot remains in their groups. The race for places is expected to be fierce, with several heavyweight nations facing tricky away fixtures.

A wave of managerial changes has swept across African football. Patrick Vieira takes charge of Senegal, the land of his birth, describing the role as "an absolute dream". Hervé Renard returns to Ivory Coast, aiming to replicate his previous Afcon success. Pitso Mosimane is back with South Africa after 14 years, while Claude Le Roy, at 78, embarks on a record-extending 10th finals campaign with Congo-Brazzaville.

The opening round features a blockbuster clash as Ivory Coast host Ghana. Renard's Elephants face Carlos Queiroz's Black Stars, who reached the World Cup last 32 but are without key players like Mohammed Kudus. Senegal, meanwhile, begin with two away games due to Dakar's preparations for the 2026 Youth Olympics.

Other notable appointments include Moin Chaaban at Tunisia, Brahim Hemdani at Algeria, and Humberto Bettencourt at Cape Verde. With star players retiring and new coaches at the helm, the qualifiers promise to be unpredictable. The journey to East Africa is just beginning, and the stakes could not be higher.