* The spirit of ‘Pamoja’, Swahili for ‘together’, mooted from having three East African host countries; Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda
* As FAM secures two international friendly matches for Flames against co-hosts Ethiopia as part of preparations for the qualifiers to run from September 2026
Maravi Express
The D-Day to determine group qualifiers for road to Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) PAMOJA 2027 will be held on Tuesday, May 18 in Cairo at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association.
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Pitting 48 nations, the draw to tournament’s finals is already carrying enormous significance long before a ball is kicked — whose spirit of ‘Pamoja’, Swahili for ‘together’ — was mooted out from having three East African host countries; Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda.
It is also the first time in the competition’s history, the AfCON will be jointly hosted by three countries in a landmark moment for East African football, which last hosted it in 1976 by Ethiopia.
Tuesday’s draw will divide the 48 participating teams into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides in each group qualifying automatically for the finals — and since Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are guaranteed places as hosts, only one additional nation will progress from each of their groups.
The qualification campaign itself will unfold across three FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027 — with Matchdays 1 and 2 scheduled for September 21 to October 6 2026, while the third and fourth rounds of fixtures will take place from 9 to 17 November 2026. The final qualification matches are set for March 22 to 30 2027.
In preparation for the qualifiers, which is the target to qualify that head coach-Kalisto-Pasuwa-was-given-as-top-priority-in-his-contract with Football Association of Malawi (FAM), the Flames have been secured with two international friendly matches against the tournament’s co-hosts, Ethiopia to be played in Addis Ababa on June 6 and June 9.
Contract signed in February 2025
According to FAM Media, Pasuwa described the matches as crucial in sharpening the team ahead of the qualifiers, saying: “We want to assess our mindset as both the technical team and players.
“We must not treat these as just friendly matches. We need to have the right mentality to win games, and we must be aggressive,” said the coach, who added that the games will also help address key tactical areas, particularly in attack.
“These two games are very important because we want to test more players and fill some gaps. Offensively, we are still struggling, and we want to improve our ability to penetrate opponents.
“Playing teams like Ethiopia will help us evaluate that,” Pasuwa said of his opponents, whose last meeting against Malawi was during the AfCON 2023 qualifiers, which ended in a goalless draw.
In the previous eight meetings between the two sides, Malawi have won three matches, Ethiopia have won one, while four games have ended in draws.
Meanwhile, CAFonline reports that the AfCON PAMOJA 2027 could reach more than 400 million people across the East African region, underlining the growing commercial and cultural power of African football.
Favourites to qualify are the usual African giants such as Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa — “but recent AfCON qualification campaigns have shown there are few easy routes left on the continent,” reports CAFonline.
“Smaller football nations continue to narrow the gap, with countries such as Comoros and Gambia proving in recent years that African football’s balance of power is evolving rapidly.
For some nations, the upcoming qualifiers could also deliver history. Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Eritrea and South Sudan are all still chasing a first-ever appearance at the AfCON finals — while Burundi, Ethiopia and Lesotho also return with renewed ambition after surviving the preliminary stage to keep their dreams alive.
The preliminary round itself already provided a reminder of the passion and unpredictability that defines African football, with South Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Lesotho, Eritrea and Ethiopia battling through tense two-legged encounters to book their places in the group phase.
Away results, goal difference and hostile atmospheres across the continent are again expected to play decisive roles in determining who reaches East Africa.
“Beyond qualification, however, AFCON PAMOJA 2027 is increasingly being viewed as a defining tournament for African football’s future,” writes CAFonline.
“The commercial success and global reach of recent editions in Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco is evidence of the competition’s rapid growth.
“The East African edition is expected to build on that momentum with expanded infrastructure projects, regional cooperation and a new football market opening further to the world.
“There is also symbolism attached to the tournament’s identity. ‘Pamoja’ reflects CAF’s wider vision of unity across the continent through football, particularly at a time when African football continues to grow in global visibility, competitiveness and economic influence.
“But before the stadiums fill and the celebrations begin in June 2027, Africa must first navigate one of the most demanding qualification campaigns in world football — and on Tuesday in Cairo, the long road to East Africa truly begins.”
According to CAF, the tournament is expected to trigger some of the largest infrastructure investments East Africa has seen in decades as Kenya is developing the Talanta Sports City project in Nairobi while also upgrading the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani and Nyayo National Stadium.
Tanzania continues work on improvements in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, while Uganda is pushing forward with stadium projects in Kampala, Hoima and Lira.
“The scale of the infrastructure plans reflects how seriously the three governments view the tournament. For many observers, AfCON 2027 could become a defining moment not only for football but also for East Africa’s global image.
“The region already ranks among Africa’s biggest tourism hubs, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda collectively offering some of the world’s most recognised safari destinations, wildlife reserves and natural attractions.
“From the Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, the Maasai Mara and Uganda’s mountain gorillas, the tournament could provide unprecedented global exposure for East African tourism industries.
“The event will combine football with travel, culture and entertainment in a way rarely seen before on the continent. The timing also matters.”
The great Serengeti
CAF underlines that recent AfCON tournaments in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire “demonstrated the competition’s growing global appeal, attracting record broadcast audiences, sponsorship revenue and digital engagement”.
“Morocco 2025 continued that trend, but many see East Africa 2027 as the edition capable of opening entirely new markets, which will also test Africa’s growing organisational ambitions.
“Managing a 24-team competition across three countries will require complex logistical coordination involving immigration systems, transport links, security operations and broadcasting infrastructure. But success could establish a blueprint for future continental tournaments.
“And as the draw in Cairo approaches, there is already a feeling that AfCON 2027 may become remembered for much more than the football alone. It could become the tournament that changed the scale of African football forever.”—Reporting by CAFonline & FAM.mw; edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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