Kenya confident 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead despite infrastructure concerns

Kenya has rejected suggestions that the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations could be postponed or moved, insisting preparations remain on schedule for the tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The competition is due to take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027 and will make history as the first Africa Cup of Nations staged jointly by three countries. However, delays to infrastructure projects, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, have fuelled speculation for several months that the tournament could be rescheduled or relocated.

Hussein Mohammed, president of the Football Kenya Federation, dismissed the possibility of the finals being moved to the winter of 2028 when questioned by Le360 Sport.

“No, as far as I am concerned, we are sticking to the CAF schedule, which provides for an Africa Cup of Nations in June,” he said.

Mohammed also expressed confidence that Kenya would complete the necessary work on time.

“Kenya is working day and night. We are very confident in our ability to be ready by the deadline,” he added.

Work is continuing at several locations, including Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. The Talanta Stadium, also in the Kenyan capital and being built specifically for the tournament, is also expected to be one of the country’s principal venues. It is planned to have 60,000 seats.

Patrice Motsepe confirmed the selection of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as hosts definitively at the start of the month.

Kenya has faced much of the criticism directed at the three co-hosts in recent months. A CAF inspection report published in April identified several shortcomings and delays affecting infrastructure across the region.

Motsepe acknowledged in September that the situation was one of “great urgency”, although he also stated publicly that CAF was working on neither a Plan B nor a Plan C.

At present, there has been no formal decision to postpone the tournament or transfer it elsewhere. With the event now approaching, a complete change to the hosting arrangements would become increasingly difficult to implement.

Nevertheless, uncertainty remains because of the scale of the work still required. The next major inspection, expected in January 2027, could prove decisive in determining whether the three countries remain on course to stage the tournament as planned.