The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded the rights to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations to three East African countries Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. This will be the first time in the history of this competition to be held in the East African region .
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the announcement at the end of its executive committee meeting today. Morocco won the right to stage the 2025 edition of the AFCON finals.
Ugandan delegation led by Deputy Speaker of Parliament , Thomas Tayebwa and included FUFA President Moses Magogo and State Minister for Sports , Hamson Denis Obua were in attendance when the decision was announced in Cairo Egypt .
In Uganda’s joint bid ,it was proposed that – Mulago Hospital, Sheraton and Kampala Serena Hotels, Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) and Muteesa II Stadium Wankulukuku training grounds, Mandela National Stadium, Denver Godwin Stadium (Garuga), St. Mary’s Stadium and Nakivubo Stadiums and two new stadiums – Akii Bua and Hoima are the facilities that will be prepared when the tournament comes home . Others are Entebbe International Airport and Kabalega Airport – Hoima.
“One of the key objectives is that the decision that was taken today (promotes) the development of infrastructure and stadiums (and) be a source of enthusiasm among young people,” said CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
Taking the tournament to east Africa follows a statement this year by Motsepe that he did not want successive tournaments in the same region.
“We cannot assign the organisation of the CAN successively to the same region,” he said at a press conference before the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria last January.
“The three nations came together because our standards and requirements are very high,” added Motsepe, likening expectations for the organisation of tournaments to those held by European administrative body Uefa and the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
“Sometimes it requires hundreds of millions – sometimes billions – in infrastructure. It makes me proud when football brings countries together. Afcon 2027 is going to be a huge success.”
However, several months later, CAF secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba said regional rotation may not always be possible.
“Today, only five or six countries out of the 54 CAF members are able to apply to host the African Cup. Consequently, it will not be possible to make this alternation,” said the South African billionaire who was elected CAF president in 2021.
The Cup of Nations has grown from a three-team tournament in Sudan in 1957 to a 24-team event since 2019, and attracts a worldwide TV audience.
