Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has been named among the African legends who will assist with the qualification draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The draw ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 19 May, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in Cairo, Egypt.
Troost-Ekong will be joined by three other distinguished African football icons: Max-Alain Gradel from Ivory Coast, legendary Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, and Trésor Mputu from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together, they will help conduct the draw that will determine the group stage matchups for the 48 teams still in contention for a spot in the finals.
The AFCON 2027 finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, marking a historic first as three nations jointly host the tournament. The competition is set to run from 19 June to 17 July 2027, bringing the continental finals back to East Africa for the first time in 51 years.
During the qualification draw, the 48 remaining teams will be divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the finals. Notably, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will participate in the qualifiers but have already secured their places as co-hosts. Consequently, only one additional team from each of their respective groups will join them in the final tournament.
