East Africa’s AFCON 2027 preparations under renewed CAF scrutiny

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is carrying out another inspection in Tanzania as pressure continues on the three hosts of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, less than a year before the tournament begins.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are scheduled to stage the competition from 19 June to 18 July 2027. With just over 10 months remaining, CAF has renewed its assessment of the preparations in the so-called “Pamoja” trio.

The latest inspection is taking place in Tanzania after the deadline set for August passed without all the expected work being completed, according to football insider Micky Jnr. A CAF delegation is reportedly spending three days in the country, from Tuesday to Thursday, examining the state of preparations and the infrastructure available for the tournament.

The visit forms part of a wider inspection tour of the three host nations. The CAF team had previously been in Kenya, where the construction of Nairobi’s Talanta Sports Stadium is understood to have been a particular focus.

Concerns over delays and shortcomings reportedly emerged earlier this year. Those worries involved both the progress of construction projects and the coordination of logistical planning across the three countries.

The situation led CAF to hold an emergency meeting with representatives of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in April. The meeting reflected the governing body’s concern about the pace of preparations, although CAF has continued publicly to express confidence in the East African hosts.

Privately, speculation has persisted that the slow progress of the work has caused unease within CAF. There have even been reports that Morocco could be asked to take over responsibility for the tournament if the difficulties become too serious.

CAF, however, has not indicated publicly that the competition will be moved. Its most recent clarification came on 22 July, when the organisation denied any plan to relocate the tournament and insisted that preparations were advancing “conformement au calendrier etabli”.

The latest inspection in Tanzania therefore represents continued monitoring rather than a public change of position by CAF. The governing body remains involved in assessing the venues and wider infrastructure, while Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania continue their preparations for their first joint hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The inspections are taking place against a fixed tournament timetable, with the opening match due on 19 June 2027 and the final scheduled for 18 July. The host countries now have less than a year to address the reported delays and ensure that the required stadium and logistical projects are ready.

CAF’s repeated visits underline the importance of the remaining preparation period, even as the organisation maintains that the tournament is progressing according to schedule.