The 48 teams still in contention will play two rounds of qualifying during the extended international window, with another two matches scheduled for November before the final fixtures are played in March.
The top two teams in nine of the 12 qualifying groups will secure places at the 24-team tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
With the three hosts already guaranteed qualification, only one place is available in their respective groups, meaning a second-place finish may not be enough.
Renard returns to Ivory Coast
Herve Renard is among the biggest names taking charge of a national team during the qualifiers.
The Frenchman, the only coach to have won AFCON with two different countries, has returned to the Ivory Coast job 11 years after leading the Elephants to the continental title.
Renard begins his second spell with the Elephants at home against Ghana on Thursday in one of the standout fixtures of the opening round.
Carlos Queiroz will be in the opposing dugout after returning as Ghana coach following his previous spell with the Black Stars.
However, Tottenham midfielder Mohammed Kudus is among several players who have withdrawn from Ghana’s squad.