The Black Stars have been placed in Pot 2 ahead of Tuesday’s draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The four-time African champions will learn their qualifying opponents as they begin the campaign to secure a place at the continental tournament after missing out on the previous edition in Morocco.
The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with the finals scheduled to take place from June 10 to July 17 next year.
A total of 48 teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the 24-team tournament.
However, the qualification process presents a unique challenge due to the involvement of the three host nations. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are guaranteed places at the finals as co-hosts but will still participate in the qualifiers, adding an extra layer of complexity to Tuesday’s draw.
Pot 1 is made up of some of Africa’s strongest football nations, including reigning champions Morocco, as well as Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa and Burkina Faso.
Ghana headlines Pot 2 alongside Cape Verde, Guinea, Gabon, Uganda, Angola, Benin, Zambia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea and Comoros.
Pot 3 consists of Kenya, Libya, Tanzania, Niger, Mauritania, Gambia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Togo, Malawi and Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Pot 4 features Zimbabwe, Guinea-Bissau, Congo, Central African Republic, Liberia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Botswana, South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.
The draw procedure will begin with the allocation of the 12 teams in Pot 4 before moving upward through the levels and concluding with Pot 1, meaning the continent’s highest-ranked teams will have to wait longest to discover their opponents.
The qualifying campaign will be staged across three international windows. Matches are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, November 9 to 17 this year, and March 22 to 30 next year, with each team playing two matches during every window.
