Omanghana
African football legends and analysts have officially identified Group C as the toughest and most competitive pool in the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 Qualifiers following the official draw ceremony held in Cairo.
The draw, organized at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association, immediately sparked intense debate among football stakeholders, with several African football icons describing Group C as the tournament’s definitive “Group of Death.”
The highly competitive group features a blend of continental giants, rising challengers, and dangerous underdogs all battling for only two automatic qualification spots.
Group C includes:
- Confédération Africaine de Football top seeds Côte d’Ivoire, former African champions and one of the continent’s strongest football nations.
- Ghana, four-time AFCON champions seeking redemption after missing out on the previous tournament in one of the biggest shocks in recent African football history.
- The Gambia, a rapidly improving side that stunned the continent by reaching the quarter-finals during their AFCON debut in 2021.
- Somalia, the lowest-ranked side in the group but eager to pull off a major upset against more established opponents.
During the draw ceremony, several African football legends openly acknowledged the brutal competitiveness of the group.
Former Côte d’Ivoire international Max Gradel reacted humorously but cautiously to the draw, saying: “Why always us? This is a very difficult group, but I believe we will do everything possible to qualify. We are Côte d’Ivoire and we know what it takes to get through.”
Legendary DR Congo midfielder Trésor Mputu also singled out the pool as the most difficult group in the qualifiers.
“Definitely, Group C is the Group of Death and we are going to have very tough and exciting fixtures,” he stated during the ceremony.
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary shared the same view, warning that even minor mistakes could prove costly in such a tightly contested group.
The qualification campaign will be played across three major FIFA international windows:
- Matchdays 1 and 2: September 21 to October 6, 2026
- Matchdays 3 and 4: November 9 to 17, 2026
- Matchdays 5 and 6: March 22 to 30, 2027
Only the top two teams in Group C will secure qualification to the final tournament.
The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027, marking a historic East African co-hosting of Africa’s biggest football competition.
Source: Omanghana
