African national teams are continuing their campaigns in the qualification race for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with the opening rounds taking place across the continent.
The qualification process involves 48 nations competing for places at the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The opening matchdays began on September 24 and continue through October 6. Several major encounters have already taken place, with teams looking to collect early points and build momentum in their respective groups.
Namibia, for example, opened its campaign with a 1–0 victory over Congo, while other groups have featured meetings involving established African football nations.
The competition is particularly significant because the tournament will return to East Africa, with the finals scheduled for June and July 2027.
For the participating nations, early results are important because the qualification groups provide limited opportunities to recover from dropped points.
CAF has scheduled the opening qualification matchdays across 12 groups as teams begin the long road towards the 2027 finals.