Zambia draw Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso in U23 AFCON 2027

Zambia will face either Sierra Leone or Burkina Faso in the second qualifying round of the 2027 Africa U23 Cup of Nations. The first leg is scheduled for 9 November, with the return match to follow eight days later.

Zambia were given a bye through the opening round and will begin their campaign at the second-round stage. The draw took place in Cairo on Tuesday and also established the possible opponents awaiting Zambia in the next phase.

Should they progress, Zambia could meet the winners of the tie between Nigeria and either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final qualifying round. That stage is due to start on 22 March 2027, while the second legs are scheduled for 30 March.

Burkina Faso would bring recent Africa Cup of Nations experience if they emerge as Zambia’s opponent. They finished second in their 2025 AFCON group with six points from three matches, recording two wins and one defeat while scoring four goals and conceding two.

Their latest five results include draws against Belarus and Guinea-Bissau, a 5-0 win over Guinea-Bissau, and defeats away to Russia and Ivory Coast. Sierra Leone’s route to the meeting with Zambia is also still to be decided.

The 2027 U23 AFCON in Egypt will double as the men’s football qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Zambia have not reached the Olympic men’s football competition since the 1988 Games in Seoul, and their last U23 AFCON appearance came in 2019, when Egypt hosted the tournament. The best-performing teams at the 2027 competition will secure Olympic qualification.