The draw was concluded in Cairo on Tuesday, providing the 48 teams with their path to the finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The tournament will be staged in East Africa for the first time in 51 years with 24 teams to be confirmed for the finals, which are to be staged from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
Flashscore has compiled what coaches from the Gambia, Malawi, and Namibia said after the draw. The Gambia, who are nicknamed the Scorpions were drawn to face Ivory Coast, Ghana and Somalia in Group C.
Gambia coach Johnathan McKinstry has expressed excitement with the draw while admitting Ivory Coast, and Ghana, who will represent Africa during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as some of the teams that will pose a threat.
Gambia will rise to the occasion
“Group C is a group that brings numerous matches that will excite football fans both in the Gambia, and across Africa - and of course we know the level of challenge ahead of us,” said the former Gor Mahia coach.
“Ivory Coast and Ghana are two of Africa’s elite teams and both will be representing the continent at this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, while Somalia will also be highly motivated and competitive throughout the qualifying series.”
McKinstry added: “But as we have shown before, when Gambia goes up against the top teams on the continent, our players rise to the occasion.
“We played Ivory Coast in Abidjan only 12 months ago and were extremely unfortunate not to come away with a result, with their goalkeeper named Man of the Match, and only recently in March we once again showed our quality and level of progress in Senegal.
“Not forgetting our victory in Tunis over Tunisia in our last AFCON campaign. These performances showed the level we can reach when we are focused, organised, and brave.”
Speaking further, the Scorpion's tactician said they respect every opponent in the group, but believe strongly in the players he has who are capable of going toe-to-toe with top African nations.
“Our objective, as always, is clear: to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027,” offered McKinstry.
“We are especially excited about the opportunity to bring major competitive matches back to the Independence Stadium. Our supporters have a massive role to play in this qualification campaign,” he added.
“When teams come to Banjul, whether that is Somalia, Ghana, or Ivory Coast, they must know they are coming into a difficult environment. No team in Africa should feel comfortable coming to play the Gambia at home.
“We have to make our home advantage count. The players will give everything on the pitch, and we know our supporters will play their part as the 12th man.”
McKinstry concluded: “Together, we can make the Independence Stadium a very powerful place for The Gambia. Preparations begin immediately. We want to take The Gambia back to the Africa Cup of Nations.”
‘Fair draw for Malawi’
For Malawi, coach Kalisto Pasuwa remained confident of a good qualification campaign while labelling their group as fair. The Flames were drawn in Group B alongside Egypt, Angola and South Sudan.
“It is a fair draw in my opinion as we all have to play all the teams. Yes, we played Egypt back then and a lot has changed since,” Pasuwa told Malawi FA website.
“Every game is a new game. To qualify, we have to play first and as Malawi, we just need to pull in the same direction and avoid infighting. It is a collective effort.”
The Flames were in the same group with Egypt during the 2010 AFCON qualifiers and also met the Pharaohs in the 2023 AFCON qualifying campaign.
They played South Sudan in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers, and came up against Angola at the 2010 AFCON finals.
Namibia head coach Collin Benjamin expressed optimism about Namibia’s chances, while acknowledging the quality and experience of their opponents.
The Brave Warriors were drawn in Group G alongside Cameroon, Comoros and Congo Brazzaville, setting up what promises to be a competitive qualifying campaign.
“It’s a good draw and we are drawn against good teams. Cameroon is a powerhouse in African football, but our statistics against them look good on paper,” said Benjamin.
“Comoros recently participated in the 2025 AFCON held in Morocco and they have been doing well, with most of their players playing in Europe. Congo Brazzaville has athletic players and we are looking forward to playing them in September.”
He added: “For us, the focus will be on preparation, discipline and hard work. Every team at this stage deserves respect, but we also believe in our own quality and ability to compete.
“The players are motivated and eager to represent the country well. Our objective is to fight for qualification and make the nation proud.”
The teams ranked first and second in each group will qualify directly for the TotalEnergies AFCON 2027 finals.