CECAFA teams Sudan and Ethiopia have been placed in Group J 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA qualifiers.

In the draw conducted at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, the two CECAFA teams were placed alongside Senegal and Mozambique.

The draw was conducted by former African football stars Max-Alain Gradel (Cote d’Ivoire), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Essam El Hadary (Egypt) and Trésor Mputu (DR Congo).

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 June to July 17, 2027. Co-hosts will take part in qualifiers but have secured their places as co-hosts, so one team from their pool will join them.

The first matches of the group qualifiers will kick-off in September, 2026.

Group D also has two CECAFA teams Kenya and Eritrea together with South Africa and Guinea. Somalia who are making a return to the group stage of the qualifiers after several years are placed alongside Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia.

The 48 teams that will play in the qualifiers have been placed into 12 groups, with the top two in each pool advancing to the continental finals.

The qualification road map for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA (AFCON) 2027 has been released with the first group matches to be played September 21^st, 2026.

Last week the FIFA Council held in Canada approved June 19^th to July 17th, 2027 as the dates for the AFCON 2027 to be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

After the completion of the preliminary round that saw CECAFA teams; Somalia, Eritrea, Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan make it to the group stage, the draw will now be conducted on May 19^th.

A total of 48 teams, including the three Co-hosts, will participate in the qualifiers which will be played across the three FIFA International Windows. The teams will be drawn in 12 groups of four teams, and the top two in each group will qualify for AFCON 2027.

The Matchdays 1 and 2 matches will be played September 21^st to October 6^th, Matchdays 3 and 4 between November 9-17^th, and the Matchdays 5 and 6 between March 22-30, 2027

Teams from the CECAFA Zone that will play in the group qualifiers include; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.

The Ocean Stars of Somalia have qualified for the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers.

After a goalless draw over two legs against Mauritius, the Ocean Stars qualified for the first time after edging the hosts 4-2 in penalty shootouts in a match played on Tuesday.

The Somalia team has now joined other teams from the CECAFA Zone South Sudan, Eritrea, Burundi and Ethiopia.

In Eswatini, Ibrahim Sulieman Ibrahim netted a brace for Eritrea to win 2-1. The Red Sea Camels who had most players on the squad plying outside the African continent qualified on a 4-1 goal aggregate.

“Scoring four goals and conceding one means that the team played well and we are happy to qualify for the next stage,” said Eritrea’s coach Hasham Yakan.

Ethiopia also scored a lone goal through Ghernet Gugsa to beat Sao Tome & Principe 1-0 in the return leg played at the Dire Dawa Stadium. The Ethiopians qualified on a 4-0 goal aggregate.

Burundi thrashed Chad 4-0 in Bujumbura to record a huge 8-0 goal aggregate. The five teams from the CECAFA Zone that qualified from the preliminary stage of the qualifiers include; South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia.

The AFCON 2027 will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

South Sudan have qualified for the next stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers.

Djibouti defeated South Sudan 1-0 in the return leg of the preliminary round on Sunday, but the Bright Star qualified on a 4-1 goal aggregate.

After several misses by both teams, Sameul Temidayo netted Djibouti’s lone goal after 77 minutes. The South Sudan team tried to push forward to find goals, but failed to convert.

It was Djibouti’s first win away from home in so many years.

Action continues on Tuesday with more teams from the CECAFA Zone taking to the field in the second legs. Somalia who settled for a goalless draw against Mauritius in the first leg will hope to get on their scoring boots.

Burundi with a 4-0 advantage will host Chad, while Eritrea and Ethiopia will also be in action against Eswatini and Sao Tome & Principe respectively.

The best teams after two legs of the preliminary round will be drawn with the other better ranked teams to battle in the group stage of the qualifiers.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the AFCON 2027.