AFCON 2027: CAF boss responds to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania joint bid

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe giving his addres at the FIFPro Africa Congress in Botswana | Photo Credit: CAF Media

FOOTBALL AFCON 2027: CAF boss responds to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania joint bid

Joel Omotto 17:00 - 11.07.2023

The three East African countries will soon learn if their desire to host the 2027 tournament is successful or not.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will soon know their fate regarding their bid to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe promised a decision in due course.

The three countries submitted a joint bid, christened ‘EAC Pamoja Bid’ to host the continental tournament in May and the CAF executive committee had a meeting on Friday 7 July to discuss the bidding process ahead of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, Morocco.

Following the meeting, it looks like the decision, alongside that of the 2025 AFCON hosts, is imminent going by the sentiments of Motsepe on Monday.

“We will be making a decision as the leadership of CAF concerning the allocation of AFCON 2025,” Motsepe said.

“I am very proud of the application and the bids we’ve received, wonderful bids, from great countries and we will also take a decision on AFCON 2027. Our focus now is to make sure that AFCON 2023 next year in Cote d’Ivoire is a huge success.”

The EAC Pamoja bid is up against Egypt, hosts of the 2019 tournament, Algeria, who held the 2023 CHAN tournament, as well as Botswana, making it a tough race.

CAF is expected to make the final decision on August 15 after the completion of inspection visits to the bidding nations.

Stadia remains East Africa’s biggest headache with Kenya and Uganda lacking any stadium that meets CAF’s standards when each country will need to have at least two to host the tournament.

It remains to be seen what plans they will present to the CAF officials during the inspection after failing to impress them in 2021 when Uganda’s Namboole and Kenya’s Kasarani and Nyayo were deemed ill-equipped to host international matches.

Motsepe has previously expressed his desire to see the CECAFA region host the tournament but the EAC Pamoja Bid is up against two North African countries who already have the most important infrastructure in place.