Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are entering the final and most demanding phase of preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with less than nine months remaining before the tournament begins.
The three East African countries must complete and test stadiums, training grounds, transport links, hotels and other facilities before the competition runs from June 19 to July 17 next year.
A Confederation of African Football (CAF) delegation spent eight days inspecting venues and supporting infrastructure across the host nations earlier this month. Its assessment included officials responsible for competitions, security, transport, media, television and logistics.
The tournament will be the first Africa Cup of Nations jointly hosted by three countries and the competition’s return to East Africa since Ethiopia staged the finals in 1976.
Kenya’s Talanta stadium leads preparations
Kenya’s main project is the 60,000-capacity Talanta Sports International Stadium in Nairobi, intended to serve as the country’s flagship AFCON venue.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said he was impressed by progress at Talanta during a visit that also took in Kasarani Stadium, where work is still outstanding.
Nicholus Musonye, chairman of Kenya’s AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee, said the country was addressing the remaining requirements.
“I want to assure Africa, and I want to assure the world, that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, we are ready to host AFCON,” he said.
Musonye said work on the Kasarani pitch should be finished by the end of October, with the stadium expected to be ready for handover in December.
However, concerns remain over the wider network of facilities needed to support the tournament. Kenya’s CAF inspection included training venues, hotels, airport infrastructure and other sites linked to the Nairobi operation.
Kenyan football fan Kelvin Kimaru said training grounds were still a concern. “We are not yet ready because the training grounds for the coming teams are not yet ready,” he said.
Moses Kamalik, an executive member of the Boxing Federation of Kenya, said further work was needed at venues including Nyayo Stadium and Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
Stadiums and training grounds under pressure
In Tanzania, stadiums are reported to be more than 80 per cent complete on average, according to Neema Msitha, chief executive of the country’s AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee. She expects them to be ready for handover to CAF in January.
Five training facilities are being prepared in each host location, with the work estimated to be about 75 per cent complete. The Tanzanian government has ordered efforts to accelerate, including a directive from Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba after he inspected training grounds in Dar-es-Salaam.
Roads connected to the tournament are also being upgraded. Works Minister Abdallah Ulega ordered contractors working on routes in Arusha to operate around the clock in June to meet deadlines and international standards.
Msitha said transport plans included regional airlines, Air Tanzania and ferry services between Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar for teams, officials and supporters.
CAF’s inspection included Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam and other key Tanzanian facilities.
Uganda is working towards a similar year-end deadline. Patrick Ogwel, a CAF infrastructure monitoring officer, said infrastructure development was expected to be ready by December 31.
Hoima City Stadium has been completed and commissioned, while Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira is due to be completed and commissioned by December. Uganda’s three main stadiums are Akii-Bua, Hoima City Stadium and Mandela National Stadium.
The country expects 10 of its 12 training facilities to be ready by the end of the year, although some are scheduled for completion in January 2027.
On September 24, Uganda’s State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang, directed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to speed up work at several training sites, including Pece Stadium in Gulu, Lira and Gulu University.
Following its latest inspection, the CAF delegation briefed President Yoweri Museveni, with challenges outside Kampala among the issues raised.
Hosts move from construction to operational testing
The next stage will involve more than finishing individual stadiums. The three countries must ensure that venues, training grounds and supporting services can operate together for 24 national teams and their supporters over almost a month.
That includes meeting requirements for broadcasting, media, security, transport, hospitality and match operations, as well as ensuring facilities are completed and verified before arrivals begin.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have already worked together on the 2024 African Nations Championship, while representatives from their organising committees observed the recent AFCON in Morocco.
But the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be a larger undertaking. The coming months will determine whether construction progress can be turned into a fully functioning tournament operation.
For supporters in the region, the event will also provide an opportunity to watch Africa’s leading national-team competition on home soil.
“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,” said Gilbert Okeya, a Kenyan football fan and Football Kenya Federation referee.
