AFCON 2027: 6 countries who need a win to keep qualification hopes alive

Six countries are facing an uphill battle to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after losing all three of their opening matches in the qualifying campaign. Lesotho, South Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Liberia are yet to record a point after three rounds of matches, leaving them bottom of their respective groups .

With three matchdays remaining, the six countries will need to turn their fortunes around quickly to stand a realistic chance of securing a place at the tournament. Lesotho occupy the bottom position in Group A after suffering three consecutive defeats. Their latest setback came against Gabon, who secured a 2-0 victory on Friday, November 13. The result left Lesotho without a point, while group leaders Morocco maintained their perfect record with a 5-1 victory over Niger to move to nine points.

South Sudan are experiencing a similarly difficult campaign in Group B, having lost their third consecutive match following a 2-0 defeat to Angola on Saturday, November 14. The South Sudanese side are bottom of the group with zero points, eight behind joint leaders Egypt and Angola, who have both collected seven points. In Group C, Somalia are also struggling after losing 2-0 to Ghana on Thursday, November 12.

The defeat marked their third straight loss, leaving them at the bottom without a point. Ivory Coast lead the group with nine points after beating Gambia 2-1, while Gambia remain second with six points. Sierra Leone are another country under pressure after losing all three of their opening fixtures in Group E. Their latest defeat came against DR Congo, who secured a 3-1 victory on Thursday, November 12, to maintain their position at the top of the group with nine points.

Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea occupy second and third positions with four points each, while Sierra Leone remain bottom without a point. Central African Republic have also endured a disappointing start to their qualifying campaign in Group F. They suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Benin on Thursday, November 12, leaving them with three losses from three matches.

Benin and Burkina Faso are joint leaders of the group with seven points each, while Mauritania occupy third position with three points. Liberia complete the list of six winless countries after losing 4-2 to Cape Verde on Friday, November 13. The defeat left Liberia bottom of Group K without a point, while Mali lead the group with nine points following their 3-2 victory over Rwanda.

Rwanda are second with six points, while Cape Verde have three. Although the six countries have made difficult starts, none has been mathematically eliminated from the qualification race, with three rounds of matches still to be played. The fourth round of qualifiers begins on November 16, giving the struggling teams another opportunity to secure their first points and revive their campaigns.

The 2027 AFCON qualifiers feature 48 countries divided into 12 groups. The top two teams in nine groups will qualify for the tournament, while only the highest-placed non-host country will qualify from Groups D, H and L. This is because Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the three co-hosts of the competition, have already secured automatic qualification. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by the three East African countries from June 19 to July 17, 2027.