New coaches and retiring stars shape Africa Cup of Nations qualifying
The short version
- Afcon 2027 qualifying begins Thursday, with finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
- Herve Renard returns as Ivory Coast coach and opens at home against Ghana
- Patrick Vieira begins his first international job with Senegal away to Mozambique and Ethiopia
- Pitso Mosimane reappointed by South Africa after 14 years away
- Mahrez, Mendy and Aubameyang among the players to retire from international duty
Qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations begins this week with Patrick Vieira, Herve Renard and Pitso Mosimane among the fresh faces on the touchline.
Qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations gets under way on Thursday, with 48 teams playing two rounds of matches in an extended international window. Two further fixtures follow in November and the final two in March. The top two teams in nine of the 12 groups will reach the 24-team finals, which Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will host.
Because the three host nations qualify automatically, only one place is realistically on offer in their respective groups, meaning a runner-up finish may not be enough. Several federations have also changed coaches and a number of leading players have retired from international football since the last tournament in Morocco and this year's World Cup.
Herve Renard, the only coach to win Afcon with two different nations, has returned to lead Ivory Coast 11 years after guiding them to the title. His second stint opens at home against Ghana on Thursday, with Carlos Queiroz in the opposing dugout. Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus is among several players to have withdrawn from the Ghana squad.
Patrick Vieira takes charge of Senegal for the first time, calling the role of coaching the country of his birth a dream. Dakar is preparing to host the 2026 Youth Olympics, so his first two matches are away to Mozambique and Ethiopia. Pitso Mosimane has also returned for a second spell with South Africa after 14 years.
Other new appointments include Moin Chaaban with Tunisia, Brahim Hemdani with Algeria, Amir Abdou with Burkina Faso and Aliou Cisse with Angola, while 78-year-old Claude Le Roy is back for another stint with Congo-Brazzaville. On the player side, Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Seko Fofana, Jean-Michael Seri, Ellyes Skhiri and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all stepped away from international duty.
