AFCON 2027 (Pamoja): dates, venues and ticket guide

AFCON 2027: what is confirmed so far

The tournament carries the name Pamoja, Swahili for "together", which sums up a three-nation hosting arrangement. CAF fixed the dates in May 2026 and the FIFA Council ratified them, which matters because AFCON's summer slot has moved around in recent editions.

• Hosts: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
• Dates: Saturday 19 June to Saturday 17 July 2027
• Format: 24 teams, 52 matches
• Opening match venue: to be confirmed
• Final venue: to be confirmed
• Final draw: date to be confirmed

One quirk worth knowing: this is expected to be the last AFCON held in an odd-numbered year, with the competition moving to a four-year cycle from 2028.

Provisional AFCON match calendar

A stage-by-stage outline has circulated in the press, though it has not yet appeared in an official CAF schedule, so treat every date below except the final as to be confirmed.

An earlier hint from Uganda's organising committee put the final on 18 July; CAF's confirmed window ends on 17 July, and that is the date we work with.

The stadiums in contention to host the Africa Cup of Nations

CAF has not published a final venue list. What we do have is the set of grounds its inspectors visited in February 2026, plus press reports on construction progress. None of these is guaranteed a match until CAF says so.

• Kenya: Talanta Sports Stadium (also known as the Raila Odinga International Stadium) in Nairobi, a new 60,000-seat build reported 94% complete on 3 October 2026 with a CAF deadline of 31 December 2026; Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani and Nyayo National Stadium, both in Nairobi and both still needing work.
• Tanzania: Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam; Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium in Arusha, still under construction; Amaan Stadium and Fumba Stadium in Zanzibar.
• Uganda: Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) in Kampala, with completion targeted for December 2026; Hoima City Stadium, already completed and commissioned; Akii Bua Stadium in Lira, mentioned in the press but not on the CAF inspection list.

Infrastructure concerns have been widely reported. CAF president Motsepe has said the tournament will go ahead as planned in all three countries, and there has been no official move to relocate or postpone it.

Qualifying: who will be at AFCON 2027?

Only the three hosts are certain of a place today. Forty-eight nations are split into 12 qualifying groups, and the top two in each group go through. In the three groups containing Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the host qualifies automatically and only the best of the other teams advances.

• Matchdays 1 and 2: late September to 6 October 2026 (played)
• Matchdays 3 and 4: 9 to 17 November 2026
• Matchdays 5 and 6: 22 to 30 March 2027

Many fans in Britain and the United States follow AFCON through players at their clubs or through family ties to the nations involved. If that is you, the full field will only be settled after the March 2027 window, so hold off on non-refundable plans built around one team.

AFCON tickets: what to expect

As of 9 October 2026, CAF has made no ticketing announcement: no platform, no sale date and no prices. Everything about tickets is therefore to be confirmed. When sales do open, the official channel will be the one named by CAF and the local organisers, so start there rather than with third parties.

A few sensible rules while you wait:

• Ignore anyone claiming to sell AFCON 2027 tickets today; there is nothing official to resell yet.
• Expect identity checks and named tickets, and use the same name as on your passport.
• Resale platforms exist, but a ticket bought outside the official channel may not be valid at the turnstile.

The easiest way to catch the opening of sales is to turn on our AFCON alert.

Travelling around East Africa for the Africa Cup of Nations

Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam are the natural hubs, each with international airports and regional connections between them. Arusha sits close to the northern safari circuit, and Zanzibar is a short hop from Dar es Salaam, so some fans will turn the tournament into a longer holiday. Check the entry rules and health requirements for each of the three countries separately, since they are not identical, and allow for the fact that crossing between them takes time.

June and July fall in the cooler, drier part of the year in much of the region, which helps if you plan to combine matches with travel.

AFCON in a packed summer of tournaments

AFCON 2027 runs almost exactly alongside the Women's World Cup in Brazil (24 June to 25 July), and the Concacaf Gold Cup is also set for June and July. Earlier in the year, the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia opens on 7 January. Our Football 2027 overview lines up all of these with the European club finals so you can see where the clashes are.