CAF announced that the competition will kick off on Saturday, 19 June 2027, while the final is scheduled for Saturday, 17 July 2027.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the governing body confirmed that the calendar was approved by the FIFA Council during its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada. However, the exact venues for both the opening match and the final will be revealed at a later date.

The 2027 edition will make history as the first AFCON to be hosted by three countries. CAF noted that the joint hosting arrangement is expected to extend the tournament’s reach to more than 400 million people across East Africa.

Focus now shifts to the qualification process, with CAF confirming that the preliminary round has already been completed. The official draw for the qualifiers is set to take place on 19 May 2026.

A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will compete for places at the tournament. The draw will determine the group-stage pathways to qualification.

CAF explained that the qualifiers will be played across three FIFA international windows: Matchdays 1 and 2 will run from 21 September to 6 October 2026, Matchdays 3 and 4 from 9 to 17 November 2026, and Matchdays 5 and 6 from 22 to 30 March 2027.

Teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group securing qualification for the finals.

The return of AFCON to East Africa carries significant historical importance, marking the first time the region will host the tournament since Ethiopia staged it in 1976.

CAF also stated that the 2027 edition aims to build on the success of recent tournaments in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, which recorded major improvements in commercial value, sponsorship deals, and global television audiences.

This was revealed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.

Among those arrested was 83-year-old Pa John Ofiel, who was apprehended on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during a raid at Samek by Powerline in Aba, Abia State, following intelligence reports linking him to drug dealing. NDLEA operatives recovered 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets from him. The suspect reportedly said he was formerly a professional shoemaker before venturing into the illicit drug trade.

Similarly, in Ekiti State, NDLEA officers arrested 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel on Thursday, April 30, at his residence on H22 Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti. During the operation, 350 grams of skunk were recovered from him.

In Oyo State, two women, Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31, were arrested over the seizure of 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. Rebecca was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting the consignment on April 29, while Opeyemi was later arrested at Iwo Road, Ibadan, during an attempt to receive the shipment.

NDLEA operatives also captured a notorious drug dealer, 49-year-old Taofik Adeyemi, in Ibadan on May 2 after months of evading arrest. He was arrested alongside his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, at his residence in the Erunmu area. Recovered from him were 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry vehicle. Two of his associates had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution.

In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested on April 30 at the Ile-Ife toll gate along the Ibadan-Ilesha Expressway while transporting a carton containing 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the drugs, 40-year-old Ifedayo Babalola, in Ilesha.

In Borno State, NDLEA officers arrested 27-year-old Yahaya Shehu on April 29 along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road, recovering 76,440 pills of Tramadol 225mg. In another operation, truck driver Magaji Isa, 30, was arrested with 14,000 capsules of Tramadol, while subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, 28.

Along the Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna, NDLEA officers intercepted two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose, 36, and Chika Obiechefula, 32, with 393 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 290 kilograms concealed in a Honda Ridgeline vehicle.

In Jigawa State, two suspects identified as Ahmed Garba, also known as Fangale, 50, and Sale Mohammed, 41, were arrested along Bauchi Road in Hadejia with 49,800 capsules of Tramadol.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided Awolowo Market in Mushin on May 2, recovering 740 kilograms of skunk.

Meanwhile, in Edo State, an intelligence-led operation in Idogbo community, Benin City, resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Godstime Godspower, from whom various illicit substances including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine were recovered.

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA commands nationwide also continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities across states including Niger, Kano, Anambra, Lagos, and Edo.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the affected states for their efforts in reducing drug supply while sustaining anti-drug awareness campaigns, urging them to maintain the momentum.