CAF President Patrice Motsepe defiant 2027 AFCON will succeed despite scrutiny

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has expressed firm confidence that the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be delivered successfully, pushing back against growing concerns over preparation delays and governance challenges in the co-host nations.

With Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania set to stage the continent’s premier tournament, questions have persisted about readiness levels across infrastructure, administration and coordination.

However, speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Motsepe struck an assured tone, insisting that work on the ground is progressing and that CAF remains closely embedded in the planning process.

“There are areas where there is room for improvement, absolutely,” he acknowledged in comments to the BBC. “But the commitment, the support from President Ruto in Kenya, from Madam President Samia in Tanzania, from President Museveni in Uganda is enormous.”

He further stressed that CAF has maintained a continuous presence across the three host nations to oversee preparations and ensure standards are met ahead of the June 2027 tournament.

“We’ve got people from CAF who are permanently based in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and they are every day working on the preparations and making sure that the Afcon which is going to take place in June 2027 is going to be successful.”

Motsepe’s remarks reinforce his earlier stance at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April, where he reiterated his belief in the co-hosting arrangement despite internal tensions within the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

The Kenyan federation has recently been rocked by leadership disputes, with nine of its 12 national executive committee members reportedly calling for the resignation of president Hussein Mohammed over allegations of financial misconduct.

Mohammed has denied wrongdoing, instead accusing rival factions of attempting to install former Kenya international McDonald Mariga as part of an internal power struggle. FIFA has since intervened, seeking clarification from the federation.

Despite the turbulence, Motsepe has maintained that governance issues will be resolved in line with CAF and FIFA regulations. “I’m confident that we will resolve those issues in a manner that complies with the CAF and FIFA statutes and regulations,” he said.

The CAF president’s optimism comes against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny following past challenges in the region.

In 2022, FIFA imposed a nine-month ban on the FKF over alleged mismanagement of funds. More recently, Kenya’s hosting of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) was affected by organisational shortcomings, including ticketing complications and crowd control concerns.

Even so, Motsepe remains publicly unwavering in his belief that the expanded East African tournament will ultimately deliver a successful return of AFCON to the region for the first time since Ethiopia hosted in 1976.