The Zambia national football team will learn their opponents for the qualifying campaign of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations when the draw is conducted in Cairo on Tuesday.
The Chipolopolo are among 48 nations set to take part in the qualifiers for Africa’s biggest football tournament, with the draw expected to produce 12 groups. From those groups, 24 teams will secure places at the finals.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have already guaranteed qualification as tournament co-hosts, although all three nations will still compete in the qualifying competition.
The draw ceremony is scheduled to take place at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo at 12:00 GMT, which corresponds to 15:00 local time.
Zambia has been placed in Pot 2 for the draw, alongside Ghana, Cape Verde, Guinea, Gabon, Uganda, Angola and Benin. Mozambique, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea and Comoros are also included in the same pot.
Being in Pot 2 means Zambia could be drawn against some of the continent’s strongest footballing nations, who have been seeded in Pot 1 based on FIFA rankings.
Those top-seeded countries include Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Ivory Coast. Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso also occupy places in the top pot.
The composition of the pots was determined using FIFA rankings, with the teams divided into four groups of 12 nations each. Tournament co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were placed in Pot 3.
The qualifying schedule released by organisers outlines a series of matches spread across several FIFA international windows.
The opening two rounds of fixtures are expected to be played between 21 September and 6 October 2026. Matchdays three and four are scheduled for 9 to 17 November 2026, while the final two rounds of matches are planned for 22 to 30 March 2027.
The finals of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations are due to take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, the competition will be jointly hosted by three East African nations — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Zambia will enter the campaign aiming to secure a return to the continental showpiece and achieve a milestone 20th appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Chipolopolo remain one of Africa’s recognised football nations and will hope the draw provides a manageable route to qualification despite the possibility of facing one of the continent’s leading sides in the group stage.
With several highly ranked nations occupying Pot 1, the outcome of Tuesday’s draw is expected to shape the prospects of many teams seeking qualification for the tournament.
Attention will therefore turn to Cairo, where Zambia and the other participating nations will discover the path they must navigate in order to reach the finals in East Africa in 2027.
