Motsepe rejects AFCON 2027 doubts as CAF admits ’emergency’ over preparations

CAF president Patrice Motsepe says there is “no Plan B” for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations despite acknowledging an “emergency” over preparations with just nine months remaining before the tournament.

Motsepe was speaking in Dar es Salaam on Thursday during a visit to Tanzania, one of the three countries set to co-host next year’s tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda.

The 2027 AFCON will be the first edition of the competition to be jointly hosted by three countries and has been branded Pamoja, a Swahili word meaning “togetherness” or “as one”.

There have been persistent concerns over the readiness of the three East African hosts, particularly regarding infrastructure and facilities.

However, Motsepe was unequivocal that CAF is not considering moving the tournament to alternative hosts.

“There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C,” Motsepe told journalists.

“We are going to work very hard in Tanzania.

“I’m in Tanzania today and I’ll take a similar message to Kenya and later give the same message to Uganda.

“We’re going to work together and those areas where we are falling behind, we’ll correct them.”

Despite his strong defence of the project, Motsepe acknowledged that significant work remains to be done, with the three host nations at different stages of preparations.

“I have seen improvements since my last visit,” he said.

“The problem is we are nine months away from the Afcon, which is a big emergency.

“What is also an emergency is those specific areas that have been brought to my attention where they say, ‘President, we are behind. President Motsepe, there’s room for improvement here.’”

Motsepe also criticised what he described as an exaggerated portrayal of the challenges facing the hosts in some media reports.

“Many of you see these negative media reports, and I think some of them are misinformation,” he said.

He added that shortcomings in preparations were sometimes being overstated, creating what he described as “a wrong perception”.

“The deficiencies are being exacerbated; the areas that require improvement are being exacerbated, and it creates a wrong perception,” Motsepe said.

The CAF president nevertheless stressed that he welcomed scrutiny from the media and said criticism of the organisation was necessary when there were genuine shortcomings.

“The media must be objective,” he said.

“Criticise us and make sure that they make us aware of our failures and our deficiencies. It’s very important. We need that.

“What we would also request is where there’s good work that’s happening in Tanzania, say so.”

Motsepe was subsequently asked whether Tanzania could eventually be considered too far behind to host the tournament.

He again rejected the possibility of an alternative plan and insisted that CAF remained committed to staging the competition in all three countries.

“There will not be a Plan B,” he said.

“There will not be a stage when there will be a perception that Tanzania is irrevocably behind.”

CAF will continue to monitor preparations in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, with Motsepe expected to return to the three countries in January for what he described as the final assessment before the tournament.

The 2027 AFCON is provisionally scheduled to begin on 19 June, with the final due to be played on 17 July.

The tournament will mark a significant moment for East African football, with Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda preparing to host Africa’s premier men’s international competition together for the first time.