Benni to face Bafana: Draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers concluded

[p]The 48 teams were placed in 12 groups, with the top two in each pool advancing to the finals, though [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kenya/CIAJw1QK/"]Kenya[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uganda/hnw06lwh/"]Uganda[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tanzania/KzAbFwJ7/"]Tanzania[/a] have all already secured their places as co-hosts.[/p][p]In those pools, only one other team will advance, which means there will be little pressure on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccarthy-benni/d4ZZqbQc/"]McCarthy[/a] when he comes up against Bafana Bafana, for whom he still holds the international goal-scoring record with 31.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/equatorial-guinea/vN7WWxY0/"]Guinea[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eritrea/ns8a5zLl/"]Eritrea[/a] are the other two teams in Group D.[/p][p]Holders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] headline Group A and face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gabon/YJL8W78U/"]Gabon[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/niger/Eevd7UNo/"]Niger[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lesotho/fTM4XmgO/"]Lesotho[/a] in what should be a stroll to the 24-team finals, which will be staged from 19 June to 17 July 2027.[/p][embed guid="25de3cf1-f6a5-406b-af36-56623cee36ad" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd3Mw_CJk9M" social-type="youtube" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] have two trips to Southern Africa as they face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/angola/rTRqsooo/"]Angola[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malawi/vT8sNsdL/"]Malawi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-sudan/bBswuetq/"]South Sudan[/a] in Group B, while there is a West African flavour to Group C, which includes 2023 edition winners Côte d’Ivoire, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ghana/nNBjHale/"]Ghana[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gambia/hADVg0uE/"]The Gambia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/somalia/Aiu9mqIL/"]Somalia[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/d-r-congo/phn9mm8H/"]DR Congo[/a], Equatorial Guinea, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sierra-leone/0W8SXIIf/"]Sierra Leone[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zimbabwe/APEVkV8h/"]Zimbabwe[/a] are in Group E, while Group F could be closely contested between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burkina-faso/bJOXzWga/"]Burkina Faso[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/benin/tKuIoRxU/"]Benin[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mauritania/Q5QPxhPn/"]Mauritania[/a] and the Central African Republic.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cameroon/zk1uVG2D/"]Cameroon[/a] will want to make up for the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 World Cup as they take on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/comoros/QLUC9wv3/"]Comoros[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/namibia/QLENxLuR/"]Namibia[/a] and Congo in Group G. They have had some tough times against Namibia in the recent past.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a], Uganda, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/libya/zm8nIuZl/"]Libya[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/botswana/naNvXTwI/"]Botswana[/a] make up Group H, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/algeria/nc87N1BR/"]Algeria[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zambia/zBS458hb/"]Zambia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/togo/noW84S74/"]Togo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burundi/IeBFvsBE/"]Burundi[/a] are in Group I.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a], who won the 2025 final 1-0 against hosts Morocco before the result was overturned, should have a breeze to the finals with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mozambique/2aBNiivt/"]Mozambique[/a], Sudan and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ethiopia/4AGUPqC2/"]Ethiopia[/a] in their pool.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mali/jVn5lThB/"]Mali[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rwanda/4dPTyCvg/"]Rwanda[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liberia/UZzaxY9t/"]Liberia[/a] are in Group K, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/EBE2Xb3l/"]Nigeria[/a] should have no problem in Group L with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/madagascar/88OzY9OB/"]Madagascar[/a], Tanzania and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/guinea-bissau/0rJs9H8F/"]Guinea-Bissau[/a].[/p][image alt="The draw" id="d416725f-c742-4789-b553-4c5f27f2e008" credit-line="CAF" guid="3559cb34-8128-4b3d-814a-910e06779d53" original-width="720" original-height="900" /][p]The qualifiers will be played over three international windows, with Matchdays 1 & 2 from 21 September to 6 October, Matchdays 3 & 4 from 9–17 November, and Matchdays 5 & 6 from 22–30 March 2027.[/p][p][b]TOTALENERGIES CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 QUALIFIERS DRAW[/b][/p][p][b]GROUP A:[/b] Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho[/p][p][b]GROUP B:[/b] Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan[/p][p][b]GROUP C: [/b]Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia[/p][p][b]GROUP D: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a], Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea[/p][p][b]GROUP E: [/b]DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe [/p][p][b]GROUP F: [/b]Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic[/p][p][b]GROUP G: [/b]Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo[/p][p][b]GROUP H: [/b]Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana[/p][p][b]GROUP I: [/b]Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi[/p][p][b]GROUP J: [/b]Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia[/p][p][b]GROUP K: [/b]Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia[/p][p][b]GROUP L: [/b]Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau[/p]