The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations officially begins this week, with 48 nations set to battle for a place at the historic East African showpiece that will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The opening two matchdays of the qualifying campaign will be played between 24 September and 6 October, with 24 fixtures scheduled across 12 groups as Africa's heavyweights begin their quest for continental glory.
Among the standout fixtures on the opening weekend is a heavyweight West African clash between Ivory Coast and Ghana in Bouaké, while Morocco host Gabon, Egypt take on Angola, and Algeria welcome Zambia.
For South African fans, however, all eyes will be on Bafana Bafana and Pitso Mosimane, who is set to take charge of his first competitive match since returning for a third spell as national team coach.
Ivory Coast, Ghana headline opening day
The action kicks off on Thursday with eight matches, headlined by the meeting between former African champions Ivory Coast and Ghana.
The Ivorians begin a new chapter under returning coach Hervé Renard, while Ghana will be looking to hit the ground running after recalling several players who missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
Elsewhere, Cameroon face Comoros, DR Congo host Equatorial Guinea, and co-hosts Uganda travel to Tunisia in a difficult opening assignment.
Morocco, Egypt and Nigeria enter the spotlight
Friday's schedule delivers a packed slate of fixtures featuring several continental giants.
Morocco begin life under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi when they host Gabon in Rabat, while seven-time African champions Egypt take on Angola in Cairo.
One of the standout encounters sees Algeria face Zambia, while Senegal host Mozambique and Nigeria welcome Madagascar despite the absence of injured striker Victor Osimhen.
Co-hosts Tanzania also start their campaign against Guinea-Bissau.
Mosimane's first test
Matchday One concludes on Saturday when South Africa host Guinea in Group D.
The match marks Mosimane's first competitive fixture since making his return to the Bafana Bafana dugout and presents an early opportunity to lay down a marker in qualifying.
Guinea arrive armed with attacking threats such as Serhou Guirassy, while former Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba has also been recalled to the squad.
Group D carries a unique wrinkle, with co-hosts Kenya already guaranteed a place at the finals. As a result, only the highest-ranked nation outside Kenya will qualify automatically from the group.
The same arrangement applies in the groups featuring fellow hosts Uganda and Tanzania.
Historic East African AFCON awaits
The tournament, branded AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will be played from 19 June to 17 July 2027 and will mark the first time three countries jointly host Africa's biggest football competition.
"Pamoja", the Swahili word for "together", reflects CAF's vision of unity as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda prepare to stage the continent's premier football event.
With six rounds of qualifying fixtures to be played, every point will count as Africa's nations begin the long journey toward what promises to be a landmark edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.