Ghana placed in top pot for 2027 U23 AFCON qualifying draw

Ghana have been placed in the higher-ranked pot for the second-round draw of the 2027 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Black Meteors will meet one of the winners from the opening round as they begin their route back to the tournament.

The 14 nations exempted from the first round have been split into two groups of seven based on ranking. Ghana are in Pot 5, alongside Morocco, Mali, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Guinea.

Pot 4 contains Niger, Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Zambia and Senegal. Ghana will avoid another Pot 5 team in the second round, but their opponent will come from the first-round winners, whose identities will depend on the opening ties.

The qualifying structure could give Ghana a demanding route. One Pot 4 team will be paired with a first-round winner, while another first-round winner will face a Pot 5 side. The winners of those second-round matches will then meet in the third round, with the process continuing until the 14 teams entering at that stage have been settled.

Ghana missed the previous edition of the U23 AFCON and are seeking a return to the competition. The 2027 tournament will also provide the qualification route for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Egypt have already been confirmed as hosts of the 2028 U23 AFCON. The 2027 qualifying campaign will decide which nations reach that tournament, leaving Ghana to wait for the draw and the first-round results that will determine their opening opponent.