Tanzania do not need to qualify for AFCON 2027 because they already have an automatic spot as one of the three co-host nations. As such, the Taifa Stars will use the tournament as a benchmark to see how they fare against other teams.
In essence, they'll see the qualifying round as a series of high-stakes friendlies. Tanzania face Guinea-Bissau at home and Madagascar away in Group L action on 25 and 29 September, respectively.
Tanzania Group AFCON 2027 — Table & What's at Stake
| Team | Status |
|---|---|
| Tanzania | Already qualified (co-host) |
| Nigeria | Qualifying — One of the top teams in CAF |
| Madagascar | Qualifying — QF at AFCON 2019 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Qualifying — low-ranked but dangerous |
Tanzania co-host the 2027 AFCON alongside Kenya and Uganda, who are drawn in Groups D and H respectively. All three will feature in the qualifiers and will treat the group stage as friendly matches.
Therefore, only one of the remaining three teams will earn an automatic berth in Group L, meaning one of Nigeria/Madagascar/Guinea-Bissau will move to the tournament, and the other two teams will be eliminated. Nigeria should be the odds-on favourite on paper based on experience, pedigree and FIFA Ranking.
Tanzania AFCON Qualifiers Fixtures 2027 — Dates, Opponents and Venue
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2026 | Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau | Amaan Stadium |
| 29 Sep 2026 | Madagascar vs Tanzania | Stade Municipal de Mahamasina |
| Nov 2026 | Nigeria (away in MD3 and at home in MD4) | Venues and KO times to be confirmed |
| Mar 2027 | Guinea-Bissau (away, MD5) and Madagascar (home, MD6) | Venues and KO times to be confirmed |
Tanzania will open their AFCON 2027 qualifying run at home against Guinea-Bissau on 25 September before travelling to face Madagascar on 29 September. Arguably the toughest stretch will come in November with back-to-back matches against Nigeria before closing things out away at Guinea-Bissau and at home versus Madagascar on March next year.
Tanzania AFCON Squad 2027 — Key Players and Club Breakdown
Manager Miguel Ángel Gamondi has named a strong squad that features some of the finest talent the Ligi Kuu Bara has to offer. However, he's strengthened the pool of players by calling up several players who feature in overseas leagues.
Gamondi wants to increase the internal competition, so he announced a massive squad composed of 42 players for these two matches. He won't be able to give everyone minutes in these two games, though. Here's the squad breakdown.
| Club/Attachment | Players called up |
|---|---|
| Azam FC | Zuberi Foba, Aishi Manula, Lameck Lawi, Twalib Nuru, Pascal Msindo, Himid Mao, Feisal Salum, Abdulkarim Kiswanya, Abdul Suleiman |
| Simba SC | Vedastus Masinde, Bakari Msimu, Nickson Kibabage, Anthony Milgo, Nathaniel Chilambo, Yusuf Kagoma, Morice Abraham |
| Young Africans | Hussein Masalanga, Ibrahim Bacca, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Mohammed Mussa, Mohammed Hussein, Mudathir Yahya, Selemani Mwalimu |
| Overseas-based | Danillo Maino (FK Panevezys, Lithuania), Haji Mnoga (Patro Eisden, Belgium), Novatus Miroshi (Göztepe, Turkey), Adolf Mtasingwa Bitegeko (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Mohamed Sagaf (Eastbourne Borough, England), Alphonce Mabula Msanga (JS Kabylie, Algeria), Charles M'Mombwa (Żabbar, Malta), Tarryn Allarakhia (Boreham Wood, England), Simon Msuva (Newroz, Iraq), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas, USA), Kelvin John (Aalborg, Denmark), Kibu Dennis (Al Nasr, Libya), Sabri Kondo (Häcken, Sweden), Cyprian Kachwele (HFX Wanderers, Canada) |
| Other Ligi Kuu Bara teams | Yona Amos (Singida BS), Metacha Mnata (Singida BS), Sheikhan Khamis (Singida BS), Paul Peter (JKT Tanzania) |
| Unattached / without club | Said Khamis |
Overall, Azam lead with nine players, while Simba and Young Africans each have seven called up. Four play in other Ligi Kuu Bara teams, 14 play in foreign leagues, and one player doesn't have a club: Said Khamis.
Among the players to watch, three names stand out: Bernard Kamungo, Novatus Miroshi, and Feisal Salum.
Kamungo spent time with the USMNT setup at youth levels, but he's decided to represent Tanzania as a senior player. He's spent his entire career in the MLS, and he will give the Taifa Stars a new dimension in the attack to complement local stars such as Salum and Abdul Suleiman.
Salum is undoubtedly the top talent in the Ligi Kuu Bara. Even though a third of the 42-man squad is composed of players featuring away from Tanzania, he should be one of the first names on the team sheet as the main playmaker in the final third.
Miroshi is one of the most experienced players in the squad and has featured regularly for Göztepe in the Turkish Super Lig this season. The left-back should be a key cog defensively for a team that doesn't have much international experience on the defensive line.
AFCON Tanzania 2027 — Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau Qualifier Prediction (25 September)
Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau haven't played before, so this will be their first-ever meeting across all competitions. Expect the hosts to be far more relaxed ahead of this contest, since they don't have the pressure of the result and will have the support of the home crowd. A scenario in which the Taifa Stars beat the 132nd-ranked team in the world can't be ruled out, especially if they're playing at home.
I'm backing Tanzania to get the win in this match (22Bet odds: 2.32) as the value tip in my prediction. Meanwhile, our safe tip would be the over on 1.5 total goals (22Bet odds: 1.56), which should be entirely possible given the attacking talent at their disposal and the lack of experience in Guinea-Bissau's defensive line.
Among Guinea-Bissau's key players, their star is undoubtedly Mama Balde, who has 36 caps and seven goals while playing for Brest in France. Other key players include Alvaro Djalo (Athletic Club, Spain), Franculino Dju (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Dalcio (APOEL, Cyprus) and Opa Sangante (Dunkerque, France).
Tanzania Predicted Lineup: Foba; Mussa, Mnoga, Mwamnyeto, Miroshi; Mtasingwa, Abraham; Yahya, Msuva, John; Kamungo
Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau Odds — Main Markets
Back the Taifa Stars to start at home in style — see the full Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau market on 22Bet.
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tanzania to Win | 2.32 |
| Draw | 2.80 |
| Guinea-Bissau to Win | 3.10 |
| Both Teams to Score – Yes | 2.15 |
| Both Teams to Score – No | 1.67 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 2.75 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 1.40 |
Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change. For the latest prices, visit 22Bet.
Madagascar vs Tanzania AFCON 2027 Qualifier Prediction (29 September)
Even though Nigeria will be Tanzania's toughest team in the group stage of the qualifying rounds, overlooking what Madagascar might bring to the table would be a massive mistake. This is a team that reached the AFCON quarterfinals in 2019, and as with any away fixture in the CAF region, the pitch conditions and atmosphere will undoubtedly play a factor.
The head-to-head record between Tanzania and Madagascar is even, as these two teams have met five times with two wins each and a draw. Their most recent meeting came in August 2025 during the African Nations Championship, where Tanzania secured a 2-1 victory. However, this was in CHAN, a domestic-players-only tournament.
Our 22Bet prediction for this AFCON 2027 Qualifier match is a draw (22Bet odds: 3.07), and our safe tip would be to see over 1.5 total goals in a game between two sides that aren't really known for their defensive prowess (22Bet odds: 1.40).
Key players in the Madagascar national team include Thomas Fontaine (GOAL FC, France), Rayan Raveloson (Young Boys, Switzerland), and striker Arnaud Randrianantenaina (El Gouna, Egypt).
Tanzania Predicted Lineup: Foba; Mussa, Mnoga, Mwamnyeto, Miroshi; Mtasingwa, Abraham; Yahya, Msuva, John; Kamungo
Madagascar vs Tanzania Odds — Main Markets
Every market for the trip to Antananarivo is live now — place your Madagascar vs Tanzania bets on 22Bet.
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Madagascar to Win | 2.51 |
| Draw | 3.07 |
| Tanzania to Win | 2.51 |
| Both Teams to Score – Yes | 2.01 |
| Both Teams to Score – No | 1.68 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 2.37 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 1.49 |
Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change. For the latest prices, visit 22Bet.
Tanzania Qualified for AFCON 2027 — The Home Tournament Awaits
The Taifa Stars have already qualified for AFCON 2027, and the 24-team tournament will take place between 19 June and 17 July 2027. Tanzania are one of the three co-hosts that already earned an automatic berth for the group stage alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Tanzania's home matches are regularly played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam, and that's where they should play in the tournament. The Taifa Stars have played in AFCON four times: 1980, 2019, 2023 and 2025. Their best campaign came in 2025, when they reached the Round of 16 and got past the group stage for the first time.
