Nairobi, Kenya — With fewer than nine months remaining before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations begins, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have entered the critical phase of tournament readiness. The event, scheduled from June 19 to July 17, 2027, marks the first time three nations will jointly host the competition and signifies the tournament’s return to East Africa since Ethiopia organized the finals in 1976.
A Confederation of African Football (CAF) delegation recently conducted an eight-day inspection across the three host countries, evaluating stadiums, training grounds, hotels, airports, and broader infrastructure. The assessment team included specialists in competitions, security, transport, media, television, and logistics.
Kenya: Talanta Takes Center Stage
In Kenya, the primary focus is the newly constructed Talanta Sports International Stadium in Nairobi. Designed as the flagship venue with a capacity of 60,000, the stadium was among the facilities inspected by CAF. Following the visit, CAF President Patrice Motsepe expressed satisfaction with the progress at Talanta, though he also toured Kasarani Stadium, where completion work is still underway.
Nicholus Musonye, chairman of Kenya’s AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee, affirmed that the nation is addressing all outstanding requirements. “I want to assure Africa, and I want to assure the world, that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, we are ready to host AFCON,” Musonye stated. He noted that pitch work at Kasarani is slated for completion by the end of October, with a venue handover expected in December.
However, some local stakeholders have raised concerns about ongoing gaps. Kelvin Kimaru, a Kenyan football supporter, highlighted that training grounds for participating teams remain incomplete. Moses Kamalik, an executive member of the Boxing Federation of Kenya, pointed out that additional venues, including Nyayo Stadium and Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, also require attention. The broader challenge involves ensuring a cohesive network of match venues, training sites, and support facilities can operate simultaneously upon the arrival of teams and fans.
Tanzania: Accelerating Infrastructure Projects
Tanzania is similarly advancing its preparations, with efforts extending beyond stadiums to include connecting infrastructure and training facilities. Neema Msitha, chief executive of Tanzania’s AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee, reported that stadiums are over 80 percent complete and anticipated to be handed over to CAF in January. “All of them are almost above 80 percent,” Msitha said.
Training facilities are being developed concurrently, with five sites prepared in each host location. Msitha estimated these are approximately 75 percent finished. In August, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba issued directives to expedite construction at training grounds, including Farasi and Leaders Club in Dar-es-Salaam, emphasizing the need to meet CAF standards.
Transport infrastructure is also under scrutiny. In June, Works Minister Abdallah Ulega ordered contractors working on roads in Arusha to operate around the clock to adhere to international benchmarks. Regional airlines, such as Air Tanzania, and ferry services between Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar are being integrated into the transport plan for teams and supporters.
Uganda: Meeting Year-End Deadlines
Uganda is pushing toward a December 31 completion target for its infrastructure projects. Patrick Ogwel, a CAF infrastructure monitoring officer, confirmed that Hoima City Stadium has been completed and commissioned. Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira is expected to follow suit by December.
The Uganda Local Organising Committee has identified Akii-Bua, Hoima City Stadium, and Mandela National Stadium as its key venues. While ten of twelve training facilities are targeted for completion by year-end, some may not be ready until January 2027. On September 24, State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang directed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to speed up construction at sites such as Pece Stadium in Gulu, citing concerns over the pace of work.
Following the recent CAF inspection, the delegation briefed President Yoweri Museveni, highlighting challenges outside the capital, Kampala.
From Construction to Operations
The coming months will determine whether the three hosts can transition from construction progress to fully operational tournament infrastructure. AFCON demands venues capable of supporting broadcasting, media, security, transport, hospitality, and match operations alongside spectator handling.
Having previously co-hosted the 2024 African Nations Championship, the trio gained valuable experience in cross-border tournament organization. CAF has also included representatives from their local organizing committees in observer missions at recent tournaments. However, the upcoming AFCON presents a larger scale, featuring 24 national teams competing over nearly a month.
For fans in East Africa, the event represents a significant opportunity. Gilbert Okeya, a Kenyan footballer and referee, expressed optimism: “We are happy because we are going to host, and we are going to have an opportunity to have live matches for AFCON in our country.”
How are fans supposed to travel between three countries efficiently? The infrastructure plans sound ambitious but vague.
Training grounds still incomplete? That is a major red flag nine months out. Caf needs to be strict.
Sixty thousand seats at Talanta? I hope they actually sell out. The passion is there, but so is the skepticism.
First joint AFCON in East Africa since 1976! This is huge for regional football and tourism.