CAF is reportedly considering qualifiers from June 2027 and a finals from 7 June to 10 July 2028, with 28 nations. The host country remains unknown and the programme has yet to be approved.
African football is preparing for a change of format. According to the schedule unveiled by Afrique Sports, AFCON 2028 could bring together 28 nations, a first in the history of African football if this format is approved. The programme remains provisional and must still receive the approval of the CAF Executive Committee.
The identity of the host country is not yet known, according to Afrique Sports and Cameroun24.net. In the meantime, the next AFCON will first be played in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, before the 2028 edition, whose finals could take place from 7 June to 10 July.
Qualifiers from June 2027
According to Afrique Sports, the first preliminary round would take place from 7 to 15 June 2027 and would bring together the twelve lowest-ranked African national teams. The main qualifying phase would then get under way in September 2027, with 48 teams involved.
The first four matchdays could be played between 20 September and 5 October 2027, and the last two from 8 to 16 November 2027. This main phase would precede a 28-nation finals, compared with 24 at previous editions.
A 28-nation tournament
The AFCON 2028 finals would bring together 28 nations, a first in the history of African football if the format is approved. The tournament would begin on 7 June 2028 and end on 10 July 2028, according to the planned schedule.
These dates therefore remain to be confirmed, as does the format itself, since the programme must still be approved by the CAF Executive Committee.
A host country still unknown
The identity of the host country remains unknown, according to Afrique Sports and Cameroun24.net. The designation of the host country is among the next milestones, along with the approval of the schedule by the CAF Executive Committee.
Until then, AFCON 2027 will be played in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.