The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday awarded the East African nations of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania the hosting rights of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that will be held in 2027.
This development was confirmed at the CAF Executive Committee’s meeting in Cairo, Egypt.
The East African nations, who labelled their bid “Pamoja”, beat competition from Egypt, Senegal, Botswana and Algeria. The latter withdrew from the race early this week.
This means that Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania have automatically qualified for the 2027 edition.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the East Africa Pamoja bid as the winner of the rights to host the AFCON in 2027, saying that African football has a bright future.
“The future of African football has never been brighter – in the near future, an African nation will win the World Cup,” Motsepe said.
He added, “The 2027 edition is going to be beautiful. The commitment and drive made by the three presidents of the countries shows how eager the region is to host this event.”
In the bid, Uganda used the under-renovation Namboole Stadium as the guarantee with two more stadiums set to be added in due course.
Kenya reportedly fronted improvements on Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, as well as Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
For Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium is already CAF-certified. Other options include Azam FC’s Chamazi Complex and the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza.
According to CAF, match venues of a hosting country or joint hosts should be near an airport, a level five hospital and a five-star hotel. The hosts should also have six stadiums to cater to the 24 teams that take part in the tournament.
Other amenities that should be onsite include CCTV cameras for security, as well as well-demarcated seats for VIPs and VVIPs inside the stadium.
At the same event, Morocco won the rights to host the 2025 edition of the continental nations’ tournament.
