Doubts grow over 2027 AFCON as CAF faces concerns over East Africa preparations

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is facing renewed questions over whether Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will be ready to host the tournament as scheduled, despite CAF president Patrice Motsepe insisting there is no alternative plan to move the competition, French online portal lemonde.fr has revealed.

The tournament is due to take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with the three East African nations set to stage the first AFCON to be jointly hosted by the region. The qualifying competition began on 24 September, leaving the hosts with less than nine months to complete the remaining infrastructure work.

Motsepe sought to end speculation over a possible change of venue during his inspection tour of the three countries earlier this month.

“There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C,” the CAF president said during his visit.

However, his firm public position was accompanied by an acknowledgement that preparations in parts of East Africa require a significant acceleration.

Motsepe said there were areas where the hosts were “falling behind” and stressed the need for greater urgency, particularly with stadiums expected to be ready for testing early next year.

Race against time

The infrastructure challenge is most pronounced in Kenya and Uganda, where several stadium projects are still being completed or upgraded.

In Kenya, Motsepe inspected the newly built Talanta Sports International Stadium as well as Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. CAF said the president was impressed by the progress at Talanta, while also providing feedback on work that remains outstanding at Kasarani.

Kasarani is undergoing significant renovation, while the new Talanta stadium is one of the centrepieces of Kenya’s preparations. The country’s wider sporting ambitions also mean the facilities are intended to leave a legacy beyond AFCON 2027.

Kenya’s government has maintained that the work will be completed on time, with Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya describing the tournament as an important part of the country’s broader sporting and economic plans.

Uganda is also working to complete and upgrade venues, including the Mandela National Stadium, Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium and Hoima City Stadium.

The Ugandan government says CAF has continued to monitor the country’s preparations, with a second physical inspection covering the three stadiums and several training facilities completed earlier this month.

Tanzania appears to have made progress on its own preparations, with CAF inspectors assessing Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the proposed venues in Arusha and Zanzibar, as well as airports, training facilities, hotels, hospitals and road infrastructure.

Why are alternative hosts being discussed?

Despite Motsepe’s assurances, reports of potential contingency planning have continued to fuel speculation that CAF could eventually consider moving the tournament if the infrastructure deadline is missed.

Recent reports have suggested that CAF officials have privately considered countries with sufficient stadium capacity and experience of hosting major continental competitions as possible alternatives.

Among the countries being mentioned are South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Ivory Coast, all of which have hosted major CAF competitions and possess multiple established international-standard stadiums.

That does not, however, mean CAF has announced a change of host or formally opened a relocation process. Motsepe’s public position remains that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will host the 2027 tournament.

CAF’s own recent inspections also indicate that the governing body continues to work with the three countries rather than publicly preparing for a change of venue. In September, CAF said its delegation had completed an eight-day assessment of key facilities in all three host nations.

January could be decisive

The next major milestone is expected to come in January 2027, when Motsepe plans to return to assess the state of preparations.

He has indicated that stadiums need to be available for testing around that period, leaving the hosts with only a few months to complete construction, renovations and operational preparations.

That timetable gives the three countries little margin for further delays.

The significance of January is therefore greater than a routine inspection. It could provide CAF with a much clearer picture of whether the venues, transport systems, training grounds and other tournament infrastructure can meet the required standards before the opening match in June.

A landmark tournament for East Africa

If the preparations remain on schedule, AFCON 2027 will represent a historic moment for East African football.

It will be the first time Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have jointly hosted the senior men’s Africa Cup of Nations and will return the continent’s flagship national-team competition to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades.

For the host nations, the tournament is also being presented as more than a month-long football competition. Kenya, in particular, views the investment in stadiums and sporting infrastructure as part of a longer-term strategy, with the country also preparing to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

For CAF, meanwhile, the challenge is to ensure that the tournament meets the organisation’s infrastructure and operational standards without disrupting an increasingly crowded international football calendar.

For now, there is no official indication that AFCON 2027 will be moved. CAF continues to recognise Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as the hosts, while the three countries insist they will meet the deadline.

But with the tournament less than nine months away and several major projects still requiring accelerated work, the next few months will be crucial.

Motsepe’s message is clear: there is no Plan B or Plan C. The question now is whether the PAMOJA hosts can turn that confidence into completed stadiums and tournament-ready infrastructure before CAF’s next major assessment in January.