The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed reports suggesting that the format of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) could be changed, confirming that the tournament will retain its 24-team structure.
Naija News reports that CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, made the clarification during a press conference on Wednesday, where he confirmed that 24 national teams would participate in the 2027 edition of the continental championship.
The football governing body later restated the position in a post on its official 𝕏 handle on Thursday.
“At Wednesday’s press conference, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2027 will have 24 National Teams. Media reports suggesting otherwise is untrue,” CAF stated.
AFCON Qualifiers To Begin In September
According to CAF, the qualification campaign for the 2027 tournament is expected to begin in September or October 2026.
The body added that the tournament itself would be played in June and July 2027.
“The AFCON 2027 will be played in June-July 2027 and the Qualifiers will start in September/October 2026,” the statement added.
The clarification came amid reports suggesting that CAF was considering changes to the number of teams that would take part in the competition.
However, the continental football body described such reports as inaccurate, stressing that there had been no decision to alter the 24-team format.
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda To Host
The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The three East African countries are continuing preparations ahead of the tournament, which will bring together the best national teams on the continent.
The competition is expected to attract huge interest across Africa, with national teams set to begin their qualification campaigns later in 2026.
CAF’s latest clarification has now put to rest speculation about a possible change to the tournament structure, with the 2027 AFCON set to continue with the 24-team format.
