AFCON 2027: Opening match host still undecided – CAF president Patrice Motsepe

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe says no decision has yet been made on which of the three host nations will stage the opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will jointly host the tournament, but Motsepe says all three countries have submitted proposals for the opening fixture and discussions are still ongoing.

He said the proposals were of interest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with a final decision expected to be taken soon.

“The host country for the opening match has not yet been decided,” Motsepe said.

“All three host countries have submitted interesting proposals. We are still discussing and a decision will be made soon.”

The CAF president was speaking in Dar es Salaam as preparations continue for the first AFCON to be jointly staged by the three East African nations.

Motsepe also highlighted Tanzania’s recent experience of hosting major continental football events as part of the reason for his confidence in the country’s ability to deliver AFCON 2027.

He revealed that he personally insisted that Tanzania host the opening match of the African Football League, which saw Simba face Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

According to Motsepe, Tanzania’s successful staging of the opening ceremony of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) also provided further evidence of the country’s organisational capabilities.

“My confidence is based on realism,” he said.

Motsepe said CAF was drawing on lessons from previous tournaments as it works with Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to prepare for AFCON 2027.

The tournament will require significant investment in stadiums, training facilities, pitches, accommodation, transport and other infrastructure, with CAF working alongside the three governments and local organising structures.

The CAF president has repeatedly stressed the importance of close cooperation between the continental governing body, the host governments and football authorities to ensure the tournament is delivered successfully.

While Tanzania has hosted a number of major football events in recent years, Kenya and Uganda are also continuing preparations as part of the three-country hosting arrangement.

CAF has deployed experts across the three countries to assess and support preparations, with particular attention being paid to training facilities, playing surfaces and other tournament infrastructure.

The decision on the opening match venue will therefore form another important part of the preparations, with all three host nations seeking to play a prominent role in the tournament.

For now, however, Motsepe says CAF is keeping its options open while it assesses the proposals submitted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

A final decision on where the opening match will be played is expected in the near future as preparations for the 2027 tournament gather pace.