With questions lingering over infrastructure and readiness, East Africa’s historic joint bid to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) continues to receive firm backing from Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe.
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania—united under the PAMOJA bid—are set to become the first trio of nations to co-host the continent’s flagship tournament. Despite mounting regional criticism, CAF has reiterated its confidence in the three nations’ capacity to deliver.
That confidence, however, has been coupled with caution.
Acting CAF General Secretary Samson Adamu, who is leading the CAF delegation in Kampala, warned that the scale of AFCON far exceeds previous tournaments hosted in the region.
“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 added a stark reminder on timelines:
“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.”
Adamu also highlighted the tournament’s economic potential, pointing to the financial success of past editions:
“East Africa is known for tourism and has to use this opportunity to tell its story. It’s not just a football tournament.”
“AFCON in Morocco generated $1.5 billion for the host economy.”
His remarks came as Uganda hosted a high-level two-day strategic meeting at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, bringing together football federations, government officials, Local Organising Committees and CAF representatives from the three host nations to assess progress.
Uganda’s State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang, used the platform to reaffirm the region’s commitment and express gratitude for CAF’s continued trust.
“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 emphasized that the governments involved remain fully committed to delivering a landmark tournament:
“We are determined to stage the best tournament ever in the history of the competition.”
Drawing parallels with past success, Ogwang pointed to the region’s hosting of CHAN as proof of capability:
“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.”
For Moses Magogo, the significance of AFCON 2027 extends beyond football, framing it as a catalyst for deeper regional integration.
“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 further underscored the broader economic ripple effects, citing increased traffic at Entebbe International Airport during CHAN as evidence of sport’s commercial value:
“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.”
Across the border, Hussein Mohammed echoed similar ambition, positioning the tournament as a defining moment for the region.
“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 credited Motsepe’s backing as instrumental in securing 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.”
As preparations intensify, CAF’s message remains clear: belief in East Africa’s potential is unwavering—but execution must now match ambition.
“It’s the first AFCON to be organised by three nations in this capacity, and we cannot fail,” Adamu concluded.
