By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa have been drawn in Group D of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 following the tournament draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will co-host the next Afcon, which will be held from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
The 48 teams looking to reach the finals have been split into 12 groups of four, with the top two sides qualifying after six rounds of fixtures.
However, things are complicated by the fact that the three co-hosts are all assured of a place at the tournament, so only one other team in their respective groups will book a ticket.
Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia all have little margin for error after being drawn alongside one of the three hosts.
Nine of the 12 groups see the top two finishers advance to the finals, but in the groups where Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are playing, there is only one place available.
AFCON 2027 draw:
Group A: Lesotho, Niger, Gabon, Morocco
Group B: South Sudan, Malawi, Angola, Egypt
Group C: Somalia, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast
Group D: Eritrea, Kenya, Guinea, South Africa
Group E: Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo
Group F: Central African Republic, Mauritania, Benin, Burkina Faso
Group G: Congo, Namibia, Comoros, Cameroon
Group H: Botswana, Libya, Uganda, Tunisia
Group I: Burundi, Togo, Zambia, Algeria
Group J: Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Senegal
Group K: Liberia, Rwanda, Cape Verde, Mali
Group L: Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Madagascar, Nigeria
The top two teams in each group qualify for the finals next year, expect for Groups D, H and L where the highest ranked side besides the three co-hosts will go the 24-team finals.
Meanwhile the identity of the 2025 Afcon champions remains in dispute after Senegal beat tournament hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a final marred by controversy on 18 January.
Several Teranga Lions players walked off the pitch in protest at the decision to award Morocco a penalty in second-half stoppage time, with the match delayed by about 17 minutes before Brahim Diaz saw his spot-kick saved.
But, on 17 March, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals board imposed a 3-0 forfeit on Senegal for breaching tournament regulations and awarded the trophy to Morocco instead.
The Senegalese Football Federation has contested that decision and taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), which is yet to rule on the matter.