CAF announces dates for 2026-27 competitions and hosts

The Confederation of African Football has announced important dates and host countries for its major competitions in 2026 and 2027. This decision aims to give more clarity to Member Associations, commercial partners, and fans.

In a statement on its website on Monday, CAF mentioned that it had made good progress in organizing its competitions calendar.

"The increasingly stable calendar reflects CAF’s continued commitment to strengthening its existing competitions while developing important new properties that will create additional opportunities at senior and youth levels," the statement said.

CAF confirmed that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The qualifying matches will start in September 2026.

According to CAF, the TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup will happen in Tshwane, South Africa, on November 8, 2026. This match will see Mamelodi Sundowns, winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, face USM Alger, holders of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.

The match is set to kick off at 3pm local time, which is 1pm GMT.

CAF also shared details about its major youth competitions. Ghana will host the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in February and March 2027. Morocco will hold the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in April and May.

Egypt will be the host for the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. This tournament will serve as the qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

CAF is looking into starting a new CAF U-17 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. If all necessary sporting and organizational requirements are met, the competition could launch next year. The new tournament aims to give young female players more chances to compete.

Morocco will also host the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations from October 12 to 21, 2026. Senegal will be the host for the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in November.

At the club level, CAF confirmed that the draws for the preliminary rounds of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for 2026/27 have been completed. The first preliminary round will happen from September 4 to 6, with the return matches set for September 11 to 13.

CAF noted that work is progressing on the proposed African Nations League. The Executive Committee discussed the format for this competition.

"The progress across these competitions is an important step in CAF’s objective of creating a more stable and predictable African football calendar," the statement said.

CAF added that having clearer dates and host countries will help Member Associations plan better. This will also give players clearer competitive paths and offer broadcasters, sponsors, and fans better visibility on major events.