The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is about to begin, with Matchday 1 bringing a full programme of international football across Africa. Several familiar teams are involved, while others will be looking to make a strong start and collect valuable points.

Across Groups A to E, the opening fixtures offer plenty for football fans to follow.

Group A Opens With Morocco and Gabon

Group A features two opening fixtures: Morocco v Gabon and Niger v Lesotho. Morocco v Gabon is one of the standout matches in the group. Morocco will have home advantage and will look to begin the qualification campaign positively. Gabon, meanwhile, will be aiming to produce a strong performance away from home.

The other Group A fixture gives Niger and Lesotho an opportunity to start with an important result. With only a limited number of matches in the group stage, every point can become valuable as the campaign progresses.

Egypt and Angola Lead Group B

Group B begins with Egypt v Angola and Malawi v South Sudan. Egypt are one of the continent's most recognizable football teams and will attract plenty of attention when they meet Angola. Playing at home gives Egypt an opportunity to set the tone early in the group.

Angola will have their own ambitions, while Malawi and South Sudan will also be looking to make an early impact. The opening results could provide an important first indication of how the group standings may develop.

Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana Meet in Group C

Group C immediately offers a high-profile fixture as Côte d’Ivoire v Ghana takes centre stage. The group also features Gambia v Somalia. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are both well-known names in African football, making their meeting one of the most anticipated fixtures among the opening games. Both sides will want to begin their campaign with a positive result rather than giving an early advantage to a group rival.

Gambia and Somalia will also have the chance to collect points in their opening match. Their result could become significant as the group develops and teams begin to establish their positions.

South Africa and Kenya Begin Group D

Group D features South Africa v Guinea and Kenya v Eritrea. South Africa will face Guinea in one of the group's key opening fixtures. Both teams will be looking to establish themselves early and avoid giving their competitors an advantage.

Kenya and Eritrea complete the opening round in Group D. The fixture gives both teams a chance to begin their campaign positively, with the result potentially influencing the early shape of the group.

Two Fixtures in Group E

Group E starts with DR Congo v Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe. DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea will meet in one of the group's opening contests. Both teams will be looking to take advantage of their first opportunity to collect points. Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe then provide another interesting matchup. With four teams competing in the group, the opening results can quickly create differences in the standings, making a positive start particularly useful.

A Busy Start to the Qualifiers

Matchday 1 gives fans an early look at how the 2027 AFCON qualification campaign could develop. Groups A to E contain a mixture of established teams and sides hoping to make their mark, creating several fixtures worth following. The opening round also highlights how competitive qualification can be. A strong performance can provide momentum, while dropping points early can create additional pressure in the matches that follow.

Matchday 1 sets the stage for an exciting start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. With every group offering its own competitive matchups, the first round should provide an early glimpse of how the qualification race could take shape. For football fans, these fixtures offer a chance to follow the action from the very beginning and see which teams make a strong start.