The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations formally begins today as the Confederation of African Football conducts the draw for the preliminary round of qualifiers, a low-profile but crucial stage that will determine which of the continent’s lowest-ranked sides keep their dreams of reaching the finals alive.

CAF has already released the seeding pots for this opening phase, confirming the 12 nations that must navigate an extra hurdle before joining Africa’s elite in the main group stage. The format mirrors recent qualification cycles, but for many of these teams, the stakes have never felt higher.

In Pot 1 are Lesotho, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, South Sudan and Mauritius. These sides sit just outside the continent’s top tier in the FIFA and CAF rankings and are considered marginal favourites in this round. Pot 2 contains Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles and Eritrea, nations that have often struggled for consistency but remain capable of springing surprises over two legs.

CAF’s regulations for the preliminary round are straightforward. Each team in Pot 1 will be paired with a team from Pot 2. The lower-ranked nation in each tie will host the first leg, a measure designed to balance the competitive landscape and give smaller teams a chance to build early momentum at home. The return legs will then be played on the turf of the higher-ranked sides.

The six ties will be decided on aggregate score over two matches. If teams are level after both legs, the standard CAF tiebreakers apply, beginning with the away goals rule and, if necessary, extra time and penalties. The six winners will advance to the main group stage of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, where they will join the 42 highest-ranked African nations, making up a 48-team field.

Those 48 teams will later be drawn into groups, with the top finishers eventually securing tickets to the 2027 finals. For the dozen nations involved today, however, the focus is simply on surviving this first cut and earning the right to compete alongside the continent’s traditional heavyweights.

For countries like Ethiopia and Burundi, the preliminary round is both an opportunity and a warning. Ethiopia, a former African champion with a proud football history, has struggled to translate its legacy into consistent modern success. Burundi, meanwhile, has shown flashes of promise in recent years, including a maiden AFCON appearance in 2019, but remains on the fringes of the continental elite. Both will be expected to progress, yet they know that a single poor performance away from home could prove costly.

Lesotho and Eswatini, long considered minnows, have grown increasingly competitive in regional competitions and will view this draw as a realistic gateway to a deeper run in qualifying. South Sudan, one of Africa’s youngest footballing nations, continues to build its programme from the ground up, while Mauritius will hope to use this stage to reassert itself after years in the wilderness.

On the other side of the divide, the Pot 2 teams arrive with little to lose and everything to gain. Chad and São Tomé and Príncipe have endured turbulent periods marked by administrative challenges and inconsistent participation in international competitions. Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles and Eritrea are more familiar with early exits than extended campaigns, but the two-legged format offers them a rare chance to engineer upsets, particularly in front of home crowds in the first leg.

CAF’s decision to maintain a preliminary round for the lowest-ranked teams reflects both competitive and logistical considerations. With 54 member associations vying for limited spots at the finals, the confederation has sought to streamline the qualification process while still giving every nation a theoretical path to the tournament. The preliminary phase trims the field to a manageable size before the more complex group stage begins.

Beyond the immediate drama of the draw, the 2027 AFCON itself carries an added layer of intrigue. The tournament will be the 35th edition of Africa’s flagship football event, but CAF has yet to confirm the host nation. Several countries have expressed interest or been linked with bids in recent months, and the final decision is expected to shape not only the logistical planning of the competition but also the political and economic narratives surrounding it.

The uncertainty over the host has not slowed preparations on the sporting side. Top-ranked nations such as Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and others are already assured of their places in the main qualifying draw and will not feature in today’s preliminary pairings. Their focus remains on maintaining or improving their rankings and building squads capable of challenging for the title when 2027 arrives.

Nigeria, in particular, will bypass this early stage and enter directly into the group phase as one of Africa’s leading teams. The Super Eagles are currently engaged in the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, where they have strung together an impressive run of five consecutive victories to reach the semi-finals against the host nation. That form underlines why they are considered among the continent’s powerhouses and why their path to 2027 begins later in the cycle.

For the teams in today’s draw, however, the conversation is less about long-term tournament ambitions and more about immediate survival. Many of these federations operate with limited resources, modest domestic leagues and infrastructure challenges. A successful qualifying run can bring not only prestige but also increased visibility, sponsorship interest and, in some cases, government support for football development.

Coaches and players from these nations often speak of the psychological impact of simply being part of the main qualifying field.