AFCON 2027 (Q): six nations reach the group stage after the preliminary round

Six nations secured their spot in the group stage of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers following Tuesday’s second-leg matches in the preliminary round. Burundi dominated Chad, winning 4-0 to complete an 8-0 aggregate victory over the two legs. Ethiopia, meanwhile, sealed its qualification with a 1-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe, bringing its aggregate score to 4-0.

Somalia needed a tense penalty shoot-out to eliminate Mauritius (4-2) after a goalless second leg. Eritrea, for its part, qualified by beating Eswatini 2-1 in the return match, for a 4-1 aggregate win. These results allow Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia to join Lesotho and South Sudan in the group stage. Lesotho had previously secured its ticket against Seychelles (2-1 on aggregate), while South Sudan had beaten Djibouti 4-1 over the two legs.

These six teams will now compete, alongside Africa’s top-ranked nations, in the group stage of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. This edition will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, who qualify automatically as host nations.