New coaches take centre stage as Afcon 2027 qualifying kicks off

Patrick Vieira and Herve Renard headline a wave of managerial arrivals as the road to East Africa begins.

H. Renard

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What happened. Qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations gets under way this extended international window, with 48 sides playing two rounds of fixtures. Patrick Vieira and Herve Renard are among the high-profile managerial arrivals, with Renard returning to the Ivory Coast job.

• Renard starts his second Ivory Coast stint at home against Ghana on Thursday
• Vieira begins his first international job with Senegal
• Top two in nine of the 12 groups reach the finals

Two more qualifying rounds follow in November, with groups decided by the final fixtures in March.

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P. VieiraH. RenardAfrica Cup of Nations

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