Uganda will renew their rivalry with Tunisia after the two nations were drawn together in the qualification phase for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament that East Africa will host for the first time in decades.
The draw for the Pamoja AFCON 2027 qualifiers was held on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, officially launching the road toward the historic championship that will be staged jointly by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Although the three East African hosts are already guaranteed places at the finals, the qualification campaign will still provide an important opportunity for the co-hosts to test themselves against some of the continent’s strongest teams ahead of the tournament.
Uganda were placed in Group H alongside Tunisia, Libya and Botswana in what immediately became one of the most intriguing pools of the draw.
The Cranes are expected to use the campaign to build momentum and assess their squad, but attention will quickly focus on Tunisia, who defeated Uganda during the recent 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
That meeting left painful memories for Uganda after the North Africans secured a 3-1 victory during the group stage, and the upcoming qualifiers now offer the Cranes a chance to measure their progress against familiar opposition.
Elsewhere, Kenya were drawn into a challenging Group D featuring South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea, while Tanzania landed in Group L alongside Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Despite their automatic qualification status, all three host nations are expected to treat the qualifiers seriously as part of preparations for the continental showpiece.
The qualification matches are scheduled to begin in November this year and will continue until March 2027.
Several celebrated African football figures attended the draw ceremony in Cairo, including former Ivory Coast captain Max Gradel, Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong, Egyptian legend Essam El Hadary and DR Congo icon Trésor Mputu, who participated in the draw proceedings.
The 2027 tournament, scheduled from June 19 to July 17, will mark the return of AFCON to East Africa for the first time in more than 50 years, with Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania preparing to showcase the region on the continent’s biggest football stage.
