The African Football Confederation sought to put an end to conflicting information regarding the format of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. During a press conference held on Wednesday, CAF President Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the competition will indeed feature 24 national teams.
This clarification comes after several media outlets and social networks reported information suggesting a possible increase to 28 participants. The CAF formally denied this hypothesis, stating that these announcements were inaccurate.
The format of the 2027 AFCON will therefore remain the same as in recent editions, with 24 teams divided into six groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage.
The competition, jointly organized by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, is set to take place between June and July 2027. The qualifiers will begin between September and October 2026.
