Kenya sports chief vows Afcon 2027 preparations will be completed on time

Kenya’s Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has assured Caf and the public that preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be completed on schedule.

Mvurya says Kenya will accelerate work on infrastructure and facilities ahead of a crucial assessment by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

“I assure Caf and Kenyans we will accelerate the preparations for Afcon 2027,” Mvurya told BBC Africa.

“We will conclude everything by December to be sure we can have test matches in the various facilities.”

December is an important deadline because Caf president Patrice Motsepe is expected to return to the region in January for a final assessment visit.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are jointly hosting the tournament, which will mark the return of the Afcon to East Africa for the first time in 51 years.

However, concerns over preparations have emerged against a backdrop of recent Caf tournaments being postponed or rescheduled.

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was played in July after its original March start date was postponed just 12 days before the tournament was due to begin.

The 2024 African Nations Championship, which was hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, was also moved from its planned February 2025 dates to August 2025.

Caf said the postponement was necessary to ensure infrastructure and facilities reached the required standards.

The 2023 men’s Afcon in Ivory Coast was also moved to January and February 2024 because of concerns over the rainy season.

In 2024, then-Caf secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba acknowledged that the organisation was facing a “scheduling nightmare” as it attempted to accommodate its biennial competitions within an increasingly crowded football calendar.

That congestion has also been cited by some pundits as one of the factors behind the decision to move the men’s Afcon to a four-year cycle from 2028.

For Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, however, the immediate focus is on meeting Caf’s infrastructure requirements before Motsepe’s January assessment.

Mvurya’s December deadline is therefore expected to be a key test of the three countries’ readiness to stage the continent’s flagship international tournament.