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David GOMBE
CAF president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed the expansion of AFCON 2027 from 24 teams to 28 teams. The tournament is slated to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The expanded 28 team tournament would see the 28 qualified nations split into seven groups of four teams apiece.
“We have increased the number of participants for the next edition of the AFCON,” Motsepe confirmed, making the expansion official.
During the group stage each team will play three matches. The Group winners and runners-up, totalling 14 teams, would advance automatically to the Round of 16.
The remaining two spots in the 16-team knockout bracket would likely go to the two best third-placed finishers across all seven groups, with points, goal difference and goals scored serving as tiebreakers where necessary, as it has been in the 24-team format.
CAF previously raised the number of finalists from 16 to 24 ahead of the 2019 tournament during the continental showpiece hosted in Egypt.
