Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo are both bound for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, but they are set to come up against one another in qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations/ Getty Images
Ghana have been paired with Ivory Coast in a potentially tricky qualifying group for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The Black Stars were not included in the top pot of seeds for the draw, having slipped down the world rankings after their failure to reach the previous edition of the tournament which was held in Morocco in December and January.
The two West African heavyweights will meet in Group C, where they will also face The Gambia, who made the quarter-finals of the 2021 Afcon on their debut, and Somalia.
“Why always us? This group is a difficult group,” said former Ivory Coast international Max-Alain Gradel, who lifted the trophy with the Elephants on home soil in 2022 and was one of the assistants for the draw in Cairo.
“But we will do everything that we can to qualify. I believe in the team so there is no problem.”
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will co-host the next Afcon, which will be held from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
The 48 teams looking to reach the finals have been split into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides qualifying after six rounds of fixtures.
However, things are complicated by the fact that the three co-hosts are all assured of a place at the tournament, so only one other team in their respective groups will book a ticket.
Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia all have little margin for error after being drawn alongside one of the three hosts.
Kenya will face Eritrea, who are back in Afcon qualifying for the first time since preliminaries for the 2008 finals, Guinea and South Africa in Group A.
Elsewhere, record seven-time champions Egypt have been drawn alongside Angola, Malawi and South Sudan.
The first four rounds of qualifying will be spread across September, October and November this year, with the final two fixtures to be held in March next year.
The identity of the 2025 Afcon champions remains in dispute after Senegal beat tournament hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a final marred by controversy on 18 January.
Several Teranga Lions players walked off the pitch in protest at the decision to award Morocco a penalty in second-half stoppage time, with the match delayed by about 17 minutes before Brahim Diaz saw his spot-kick saved.
But, on 17 March, a Confederation of African Football appeals board imposed a 3-0 forfeit on Senegal for breaching tournament regulations and awarded the trophy to the North African hosts instead.
The Senegalese Football Federation has contested that decision and taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), which is yet to rule on the matter.
Afcon 2027 qualifying draw
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho
Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan
Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia
Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea
Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe
Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic
Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo-Brazzaville
Group H: Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana
Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi
Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia
Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia
Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau
Matchdays one and two: 21 September to 6 October 2026
Matchdays three and four: 9-17 November 2026
Matchdays five and six: 22-30 March 2027
SOURCE: bbc.com