Ghana drawn against Ivory Coast in tough Afcon 2027 qualifying group
Ghana national football team have been drawn in a challenging qualifying group for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face regional rivals Ivory Coast national football team in Group C.
The Black Stars were placed outside the top seeding pot for the draw after slipping down the FIFA world rankings following their failure to qualify for the previous Afcon tournament held in Morocco earlier this year.
Group C also includes Gambia national football team and Somalia national football team, making it one of the more competitive groups in the qualification campaign.
Former Ivory Coast international Max-Alain Gradel, who assisted with the draw ceremony in Cairo, admitted the group would not be easy.
“Why always us? This group is a difficult group,” Gradel said after the draw.
“But we will do everything that we can to qualify. I believe in the team so there is no problem.”
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
A total of 48 nations have been split into 12 qualifying groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the tournament finals after six rounds of matches.
However, qualification becomes more complicated in the groups involving the host nations because Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda automatically qualify for the tournament. As a result, only one additional team from their groups will secure qualification.
Several African football heavyweights face difficult routes to qualification. Nigeria national football team were drawn alongside Tanzania in Group L, while South Africa national football team share Group D with Kenya, and Tunisia national football team were paired with Uganda in Group H.
Elsewhere, seven-time African champions Egypt national football team will face Angola, Malawi, and South Sudan in Group B.
Qualification matches will begin later this year, with the first four rounds scheduled between September and November 2026. The final two matchdays will take place in March 2027.
The draw also arrives amid ongoing controversy surrounding the 2025 Afcon final between Senegal national football team and Morocco national football team.
Although Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time on the pitch, the Confederation of African Football later awarded Morocco a 3-0 forfeit victory following protests and disruptions linked to a disputed penalty decision during the match.
Senegal’s football federation has challenged that ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a final decision still pending.
For Ghana, attention now turns to rebuilding momentum and securing a return to Africa’s biggest football stage after missing out on the last edition a disappointment that significantly affected the team’s continental standing.
The clashes against Ivory Coast are expected to be among the standout fixtures of the qualifiers, renewing one of West Africa’s fiercest football rivalries.
