The Confederation of African Football, CAF has officially confirmed that the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON will be expanded from 24 to 28 teams beginning with the 2027 edition.
CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe announced the significant milestone on Wednesday, saying the expansion reflects the governing body’s commitment to giving more African nations the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage while accelerating the development of football across the continent.
The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, making it the first AFCON in history to be staged by three countries.
The increase to 28 teams means four additional nations will qualify for the finals compared to the current 24-team format introduced at the 2019 edition in Egypt.
Dr Motsepe noted that many national teams have improved significantly in recent years and deserve an opportunity to compete at the continent’s premier football tournament.
The CAF president also reaffirmed the organisation’s determination to continue improving its competitions and ensuring they rank among the best football tournaments globally.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be held from June 19 to July 17, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly hosting the competition under the PAMOJA banner, a Swahili word meaning together.
The tournament will mark the return of the AFCON to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades and is expected to attract millions of supporters from across the continent and beyond.
Preparations are ongoing across the three host nations, with CAF expressing confidence that the countries will deliver a successful championship despite infrastructure challenges in some venues.
The expansion is expected to reshape the qualification process by creating additional places for emerging footballing nations.
Several countries that have narrowly missed qualification in recent editions will now have an improved chance of reaching the continental finals.