The three East African nations set to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have praised Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe for maintaining confidence in their bid despite growing criticism over preparedness.
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will jointly host the 2027 tournament under the PAMOJA bid, becoming the first three nations to co-host the continental showpiece.
However, the hosts have faced scrutiny across the region over concerns surrounding infrastructure readiness and tournament preparations.
Despite the challenges, Motsepe has continued to publicly back the East African nations, insisting that all African regions deserve an opportunity to host AFCON and expressing confidence in the region’s ability to deliver a successful tournament.
On Wednesday, Uganda officially opened a crucial two-day strategic meeting involving the three PAMOJA host nations at Mestil Hotel in Kampala. The meeting has brought together football federation leaders, government officials, Local Organising Committees and CAF representatives to review preparations for AFCON 2027.
Acting CAF General Secretary Samson Adamu is leading the CAF delegation attending the meeting.
Uganda’s State Minister for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, thanked Motsepe and CAF for their continued support and reaffirmed the commitment of the three governments to deliver the tournament as promised.
“I want to thank CAF President Patrice Motsepe and the entire executive for continuing to support PAMOJA in its endeavor to host AFCON 2027,” Ogwang said.
“On behalf of the Ugandan government, and our compatriots Kenya and Tanzania, I want to reaffirm our commitment to host AFCON 2027 as per what we pledged in line with the host agreement.”
He assured CAF that all necessary resources would be provided to ensure the tournament takes place as scheduled and said the three nations were determined to stage “the best tournament ever in the history of the competition.”
Ogwang pointed to the successful hosting of the recent African Nations Championship (CHAN), saying many had doubted East Africa’s ability to organize the tournament but the region had delivered.
“Most people never believed that we would host a successful CHAN, but we did. If we produced the best CHAN, we will also be able to produce the best AFCON as well,” he said.
FUFA President Moses Magogo said the joint bid was a major milestone for East Africa and an opportunity to strengthen regional integration beyond football.
“We have had the ability to host these events but what we lacked was the opportunity and the spirit,” Magogo said.
“This 2027 AFCON makes the dream of our presidents to have East Africa together a reality. It’s an opportunity to widen, tighten and deepen our East African Community.”
He added that football brings economic benefits beyond the pitch, citing increased traffic at Entebbe International Airport during CHAN as evidence of the sport’s tourism and commercial impact.
“We want to thank CAF President Patrice Motsepe who insisted that all African countries must be given an opportunity to host the tournament. The infrastructure challenge in East Africa is being solved once and for all,” Magogo added.
Kenya Football Federation President Hussein Mohammed described AFCON 2027 as a chance for East Africa to showcase its capability to the continent and the world.
“This is an opportunity for East Africa to showcase what we can do,” he said.
“We want to be remembered after this tournament. The legacy will be critical for us and we want to deliver the best AFCON in history.”
Tanzania Football Federation President Wallace Karia also credited Motsepe’s support for helping East Africa secure the hosting rights.
“If it wasn’t for his support, maybe we shouldn’t have been here because he has insisted that AFCON comes here, and we pledge not to let him down,” Karia said.
CAF WARNS
CAF’s Samson Adamu warned that while CHAN was a success, AFCON 2027 would be on a much larger scale and should not be compared to the continental championship.
“AFCON is a completely different tournament with different expectations,” Adamu said.
“The number of teams, the fans, the expectations, broadcasting and more requirements make it a much bigger project.”
He stressed that time was running out, noting that delays in implementation could severely affect tournament readiness.
“The project is moving extremely fast. We have about a year, but time is not on our side. Any minute delayed will not be recovered,” he said.
Adamu said AFCON 2027 presents a major economic and tourism opportunity for the region, revealing that AFCON in Morocco generated $1.5 billion for the host economy.
“East Africa is known for tourism and has to use this opportunity to tell its story. It’s not just a football tournament,” he said.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of close collaboration between CAF and the three governments.
“It’s the first AFCON to be organised by three nations in this capacity, and we cannot fail.”
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