Susanna Riva The road to the 36th AFCON began this week, marking the return of Africa's most prestigious tournament to East Africa after more than five decades. Qualifying, facilitated by CAF , features 48 nations divided into 12 groups of four, with a schedule extending to.
Qualifying round format and group composition
The draw, held in Cairo in May, divided the teams into groups labeled A to L. Each group consists of a round-robin format with home-and- away matches , for a total of six matches per team. The top two in each group will qualify for the finals, except for the groups including the three co-hosts—Kenya (Group D), Uganda (Group H), and Tanzania (Group L)—where only the best-performing team other than the host will advance.
Host nations: an automatic qualification advantage
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have secured their places in the final tournament thanks to their co-hosting roles . However, their respective group categories will continue to compete for an additional spot: in each of them, the highest-placed club excluding the three hosts will qualify, leaving room for 24 teams in the final tournament scheduled for June 19-17.
Official calendar: international windows and opening matches
The very first matches will take place between September 21 and 6, covering the first two matchdays of the calendar. Subsequently, the third and fourth windows will take place from the 9th to the 17th, while the final two will conclude between the 22nd and the 30th. The opening matches will include high-profile clashes, such as Ivory Coast vs. Ghana on September 24 at 19:00 GMT and Morocco vs. Gabon on September 25 at the same time.
The most anticipated matches of the first round
Other notable opening matches include Egypt vs. Angola (25/09, 19:00 GMT) at the Cairo International Stadium, Algeria vs. Zambia (25/09, 19:00 GMT) at the Stade Hocine Aït Ahmed , and Senegal vs. Mozambique (25/09, 19:00 GMT). The following weekend, South Africa vs. Guinea is scheduled for September 26 at 16:00 GMT, marking Bafana Bafana's first appearance in the qualifying campaign.
Missing stars, expected returns, and key factors in the Viareggio race
Some of Africa's greatest football icons will be absent from the opening rounds. Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari remain suspended for Morocco, while Sadio Mané will miss Senegal's match against Mozambique due to injury. Nigeria's Victor Osimhen is also out with a muscle injury, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ended his international career, leaving Gabon without its top scorer.
Broadcasts and channels to follow the qualification
Opponents across the continent will be able to watch the matches across a network of broadcasters: beIN SPORTS will cover North Africa and the Middle East, SuperSport will handle coverage for sub-Saharan Africa, while in East Africa the rights will be awarded to Azam TV, TBC Tanzania, and KBC Kenya. Al Jazeera Sport will also offer live coverage of selected matches, ensuring widespread access for fans across the continent.