- Harambee Stars have been drawn alongside Benni McCarthy’s home nation, South Africa, in Group D of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
- They will also face Eritrea and Guinea in the qualification campaign set to run from 21 September 2026 to 30 March 2027.
- Kenya has already secured qualification as one of the three co-hosting nations alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
The senior men’s national football team, Harambee Stars, have been placed in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers following the draw conducted on Tuesday afternoon in Cairo, Egypt.
Harambee Stars have been grouped alongside Eritrea, Guinea, and former champions Bafana Bafana of South Africa for the qualification campaign, which is set to kick off later this year.
The opening two matchdays are scheduled for the FIFA window from 21 September to 6 October 2026, before Matchdays 3 and 4 take place from 9 to 17 November 2026.
The final two rounds of fixtures will be played from 22 to 30 March 2027, when the tournament line-up is expected to be finalized.
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Harambee Stars drawn alongside Benni McCarthy’s home nation, South Africa
Kenya has already secured a spot for the historic AFCON 2027, as they will be among the three East African co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
However, even though the three nations have automatically qualified, they will still compete in the qualifiers.
This shapes up as a tricky group for the Kenyan side, now guided by Benni McCarthy – a former South African international and all-time leading scorer for his country.
Now he will be facing his own nation’s team as he works to build the Kenyan squad that will feature in the 2027 AFCON.
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Against Eritrea, Kenya will be eager to avenge their last encounter on 17 December 2019, when Eritrea stunned Kenya with a 4-1 victory in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup semi-finals in Kampala, Uganda.
Meanwhile, Uganda have landed in Group H alongside Tunisia, Libya, and Botswana, while Tanzania will battle it out in Group L against Nigeria, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau.
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Morocco, who were controversially declared champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, have been placed in Group A, where they will face Gabon, Niger, and Lesotho.
The actual 2025 winners on the pitch, Senegal, will headline Group J, locking horns with Sudan, Ethiopia, and Mozambique.
Group C has already been labelled the “Group of Death” as former champions Côte d’Ivoire will clash with Ghana and The Gambia, with Somalia also in the mix.
AFCON 2027 Qualifiers – Groups
- Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
- Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
- Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia
- Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
- Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
- Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
- Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo
- Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
- Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
- Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
- Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
- Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau