Black Stars paired with Côte d’Ivoire and two others in 2027 AFCON qualifiers

Ghana have been drawn alongside Ivory Coast, Gambia and Somalia in Group C of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The draw was held on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo as African nations discovered their paths to the continental tournament.

Ghana, placed in Pot 2, will renew their rivalry with West African neighbours Côte d’Ivoire, while Gambia and Somalia complete the four-team group.

The qualification campaign will follow CAF’s traditional format, with 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the tournament.

The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the first East African co-hosting arrangement in the competition’s modern era.

Ghana will be aiming for redemption after failing to qualify for the last edition in Morocco, where the Black Stars finished bottom of their group behind Angola, Sudan and Niger.

CAF has shortened the qualification schedule for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with matchdays one and two set for September 21 to October 6, 2026, matchdays three and four scheduled for November 9 to 17, 2026, and the final two rounds of qualifiers to be played from March 22 to 30, 2027.

The tournament itself will run from June 19 to July 17, 2027.