Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe’s Warriors have been drawn against tricky opponents in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers’ Group E.
The Warriors will face perennially tough opponents the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and another difficult side, Equatorial Guinea and lightweights Sierra Leone.
Zimbabwe and the DRC, the most tough side in Group E, have played each other seven times across all senior men’s football competitions, with a balanced head-to-head record:
Zimbabwe has won two matches, DRC has won two, and there have been three draws.
The Warriors will play six matches, three at home three away. Two matches will be played in September 2026, two in October 2026 and the last two in March 2027.
The draw, conducted in Cairo on Tuesday, produced 12 qualifying groups comprising four teams each, with the top two teams from every group set to advance to the 24-team finals scheduled for June 10 to July 17 next year.
However, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda serving as co-hosts of the tournament, the qualification format has slightly changed.
The first and second-placed teams in each of the nine groups not containing a co-host nation will qualify directly for the finals. In the three groups featuring the co-hosts, the best-placed team that is not Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda will secure qualification.
