The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially conducted the qualification draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday, placing the Ethiopian national football team, the Walias, into a challenging Group 10. The draw, held at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, maps out the road to Africa’s flagship football tournament for 48 nations.
The Walias face a daunting task to secure continental qualification, having been drawn alongside West African powerhouse Senegal, regional rivals Sudan, and a competitive Mozambique side. Ethiopia, which secured its spot in the group stage after successfully navigating the preliminary rounds earlier this year, must finish among the top positions in the group to guarantee a place in the final tournament.
A total of 48 nations were divided into 12 groups of four during Tuesday’s ceremony, with seeding determined by the latest FIFA world rankings. The traditional round-robin, home-and-away qualifying fixtures are scheduled to officially kick off in September 2026. Matches will be intensely contested across three strict international windows, concluding in March 2027.
Generally, the top two teams from each group will book their tickets directly to the finals. However, because the 2027 edition features an unprecedented East African co-hosting triptych of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda—who are granted automatic entry—the qualifying regulations dictate that only one additional team will progress from any group that includes a host nation.
For Ethiopia and its passionate fan base, this qualification campaign carries immense regional significance. With the tournament being held on home soil for the East African region, the Walias face heavy homework and early preparations to ensure they do not miss out on this historic continental showcase.