Gambia coach Jonathon McKinstry has sent a special message to his players informing them and expressing delight about news that the scorpions first match in the Afcon 2027 qualifiers, against Somalia, will be played at the Independence Stadium next month.
Since taking over as coach in May 2024, Mckinstry never guided his team on home soil.
In a Facebook post shortly after Caf announced the provisional approval of the country’s national stadium, the coach said: “Everyone is very excited about the prospect of playing at home after such a long journey at home. I know that when the national anthem is played before kickoff, it will be a special moment for all connected to Gambian football”.
The coach can be excused to be on top of the moon over this development giving the huge task he has to undertake –to take Gambia to the next Afcon in East Africa.
The Gambia is drawn in Group C alongside two former Afcon champions, Ghana and Ivory Coast, and minnows Somalia.
The qualifiers will be played in the form of home and away matches (six match days per team with the general rule being that only the teams ranked first and second in each group will qualify directly for the Caf Afcon PAMOJA 2027 finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
However host countries Kenya (Group D), Uganda (Group H) and Tanzania (Group L) are automatically qualified as co-hosts of the historic PAMOJA 2027 event. Therefore, in Groups D, H and L, only the highest-ranked team (outside the host country) will qualify for the finals.
Match Days
The Fifa international windows for the holding of these qualifiers are set as follows: Days 1 & 2: From 21 September to 6 October 2026, Days 3 & 4: From 9 to 17 November 2026 and Days 5 & 6: From 22 to 30 March 2027.
Group C fixtures
Match Day1: Gambia v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Ghana
MatchDay2: Ghana v Gambia; Somalia v Ivory Coast
Match Day 3: Ghana v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Gambia
Match Day D4: Gambia v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Ghana
Match Day 5: Ghana v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Gambia
Match Day D6: Gambia v Ghana; Ivory Coast v Somalia