Black Stars To Face Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia And Somalia In AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, has been drawn in Group C of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ghana will play against Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, and Somalia.

The draw for the qualifying series was held on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, with 48 nations divided into 12 groups of four teams each.

The top two teams from every group will qualify for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the qualification campaign will begin in September 2026 and end in October 2027.

The first round of matches is scheduled for September 2026, while Matchdays Three and Four will take place in October 2026.

The qualifiers will continue in March 2027 before concluding with the final round of matches in October 2027.

Ghana will be aiming to return to the continental tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

The Black Stars finished bottom of their qualifying group after recording three draws and three defeats.

The 2027 AFCON will mark the first time the competition is hosted by three East African countries. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania won the hosting rights in 2023.

Côte d’Ivoire enters the qualifiers as one of the group's favourites to qualify alongside Ghana after winning the 2023 tournament on home soil.

Meanwhile, Somalia is seeking qualification for the competition for the first time in its history, while Gambia continues its push to establish itself among Africa’s regular competitors.