Kenya has been drawn in Group D of the PAMOJA 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers alongside South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea, despite already qualifying automatically as co-host.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed that Harambee Stars will still take part in the qualification campaign with 48 other nations competing for the remaining slots at the tournament, where 24 teams will eventually qualify for the finals.
“The draw sets up a competitive group as nations across the continent begin their qualification campaigns for the continental showpiece, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania,” FKF said.
“The group presents a competitive mix of continental experience as the teams prepare for the qualification campaign ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations,” the federation added.
Among the teams in the group, South Africa are the highest-ranked at 60th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, followed by Guinea at 80th, Kenya at 111th, and Eritrea at 184th.
Kenya will begin their qualification campaign with a home match against Eritrea in Nairobi on September 21, before travelling to face Guinea away on October 6.
On November 9, Kenya will travel to South Africa for a clash against Bafana Bafana, with the return leg scheduled for November 17 in Nairobi.
In March 2027, McCarthy’s side will travel to face Eritrea away on March 22, before hosting Guinea on March 30.
The official tournament dates for the PAMOJA 2027 Africa Cup of Nations have been set for June 19 to July 17, 2027.