Key Facts
- Who. Teams in 12 qualifying groups for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), run by the African football body CAF.
- When. Matchdays 3 and 4 run 12 to 17 November 2026; the first kick-off is Ghana v Somalia, 10:00 Eastern Time (ET).
- Stakes. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda host the finals, 19 June to 17 July 2027, and qualify automatically.
- Not confirmed. Most venues and any US broadcaster; CAF lists kick-offs in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), five hours ahead of ET.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket, a prediction market, gives South Africa 66.5% to win Group D and Mali 67.0% in Group K (US$20,000+ traded each; 2:27 a.m. ET, 7 November).
This story is part of our coverage of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
Latest: Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying Resumes
Official Dates Set by CAF
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent's governing body for the sport, has published the schedule that matters most for our AFCON 2027 qualifiers coverage. Its preview sets Matchdays 3 and 4 of qualifying for 12 to 17 November 2026.
Matchday 3 runs from Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 November, and Matchday 4 follows on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 November. CAF lists kick-offs in GMT, which is five hours ahead of US Eastern Time now that daylight saving has ended.
The finals will be staged in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027. Those three co-hosts qualify automatically, whatever their results in the group phase.
Key Fixtures in Eastern Time
Thursday 12 November opens with Ghana v Somalia at 10:00 ET, followed by Côte d'Ivoire v Gambia at 14:00 ET. Senegal v Sudan and Cameroon v Namibia are also set for 14:00 ET that day.
On Friday 13 November, Nigeria v Tanzania kicks off at 11:00 ET and Morocco v Niger at 15:00 ET. Mali v Rwanda and Egypt v Malawi are both listed for 14:00 ET, while South Africa v Kenya and Tunisia v Libya start at 11:00 ET.
Saturday 14 November brings Algeria v Togo and Angola v South Sudan at 14:00 ET, with Uganda v Botswana at 11:00 ET. Matchday 4 begins on Monday 16 November, including Somalia v Ghana at 10:00 ET.
The return legs on Tuesday 17 November include Tanzania v Nigeria at 08:00 ET, Kenya v South Africa and Gambia v Côte d'Ivoire at 11:00 ET, and Rwanda v Mali at 14:00 ET. Niger v Morocco closes the programme at 15:00 ET.
What Is at Stake
In groups that include a co-host, the highest-placed other team qualifies, while in the remaining groups the top two go through. Group L pairs Nigeria with co-host Tanzania, and Nigeria are second on three points behind Guinea-Bissau, who have six.
In Group C, Côte d'Ivoire and Gambia are both on six points and meet in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, and then Bakau, Gambia, while Ghana, without a point, face Somalia twice. In Group K, Mali and Rwanda, also both on six points, play a double-header in Bamako, Mali, and Kigali, Rwanda.
In Group J, Senegal and Mozambique lead on four points with Sudan one behind, and in Group B Egypt and Angola are level on four with Malawi on three. South Africa, who have maximum points in Group D, face co-host Kenya, led by Benni McCarthy, a former South Africa striker.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a prediction market where traders bet real money, priced South Africa at 66.5% to win Group D, ahead of Guinea at 22.5% and Kenya at 1.1%, with US$21,386 traded. In Group K it gave Mali 67.0% and Rwanda 23.1% (US$20,376 traded), and in Group H Tunisia 51.5% and Uganda 26.2% (US$24,418 traded); all prices as of 2:27 a.m. ET on Saturday, 7 November.
These are bets, not polls, and each market is thinly traded. Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely.
We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
We found no confirmed US broadcaster or streaming rights holder for these qualifiers. CAF's website, CAFonline.com, carries fixtures and match reports.
The earliest kick-offs in CAF's list fall at 08:00 ET and the latest at 15:00 ET, so most matches are daytime viewing in the United States. Readers should check kick-off times against CAF's page, which uses GMT.
What Is Not Known
CAF's schedule does not list venues, apart from the cities named for the Côte d'Ivoire-Gambia and Mali-Rwanda ties. Stadiums and broadcast arrangements for the other fixtures are unconfirmed.
No Matchday 3 or 4 result exists yet, since none has been played. We found no poll by a named institute for these matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are AFCON 2027 qualifiers Matchdays 3 and 4?
According to CAF, they run from 12 to 17 November 2026, with Matchday 3 on 12 to 14 November and Matchday 4 on 16 and 17 November.
Who qualifies for the 2027 finals?
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda qualify automatically as co-hosts. In groups with a co-host the highest-placed other team goes through, and in the remaining groups the top two qualify.
How can US readers follow the matches?
We found no confirmed US broadcaster or streaming rights holder for the qualifiers. CAF's website, CAFonline.com, publishes fixtures and match reports.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief