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CAF President Patrice Motsepe has moved to quell speculation surrounding the hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, confirming that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania remain the hosts.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam after the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Addis Ababa, Motsepe asserted that the competition will proceed as planned and that concerns over infrastructural readiness are being addressed collectively.
Addressing reporters, Motsepe dismissed claims that the hosts might be stripped of hosting duties due to delays or unmet standards.
“I see lots of media speculation, an allegation that I am here [Addis Ababa] to tell Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania that I’m taking away the AFCON because they were not ready. That is totally unfounded,” he added.
“Sometimes I say certain things and the media either says the opposite, like in this context. I am enormously confident we will succeed. Will there be challenges? There are always challenges,” said Motsepe.
“The AFCON next year in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is going to be enormously successful,” he said, adding that media speculation suggesting he was about to withdraw hosting rights was unfounded.
The CAF president acknowledged that challenges are a natural part of large-scale preparations but stressed a collaborative approach to delivering a successful tournament.
He even recalled Cameroon’s experience when he became president, noting that initial readiness concerns did not derail the event’s eventual success.
“I had a big challenge in Cameroon soon after I became President. I was told by people whose views I respect that Cameroon was not ready, you have to take it away, and they recommended a number of countries which were ready because of infrastructure,” he said.
“There will be challenges, we are going to work together, and the AFCON will be successful,” the ACF President reassured.
Motsepe also explained that his support for hosting CHAN (African Nations Championship) in the three nations was part of a broader strategy to build capacity and unity across the continent’s football ecosystem. He stated that the CHAN experience demonstrated what can be achieved when African nations collaborate and invest in their own infrastructure.
“We have to believe in ourselves as Africans, our people and recognise there will be challenges. We are going to work together, and the AFCON will be successful. One of the reasons I insisted CHAN takes place in these three countries, even though I recognised we were all working very hard to be ready in February. When it was clear to me that we were not ready, I was also clear in my mind that we would work together and have it in August, which was the most successful CHAN,” he explained.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are intensifying efforts to meet CAF’s hosting requirements, focusing on key infrastructure such as roads, rail networks, airports, hospitals, training grounds, and stadiums.
CAF inspection teams are currently touring the region to assess readiness and ensure compliance with CAF’s standards for the tournament.
The remarks come as the region collaborates to showcase robust preparations while addressing any lingering doubts about the event’s hosting status.