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The logo joint bid
The East Africa Pamoja consortium, comprising
Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, has been awarded the privilege of hosting the 2027
Africa Cup of Nations. Patrice Motsepe, the president of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the announcement following a CAF
executive committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday afternoon.
The three Eastern African nations clinched the
hosting rights, triumphing over contenders such as South Africa, Zambia,
Botswana, and Senegal. This marks a significant milestone for East African
collaboration, particularly under the guidance of Uganda's Football Federation
Association President, Moses Magogo.
Magogo has been an ardent advocate for
regional cooperation in hosting this prestigious event since early 2022.
The
endeavor gained substantial momentum in July this year when CAF President Dr.
Patrice Motsepe, during a two-day visit to Uganda, encouraged Uganda and
Tanzania to submit a joint bid for hosting AFCON.
His endorsement prompted the three governments
to embark on this ambitious journey. The onus now shifts to the three
governments to meet the necessary requirements in a timely manner to ensure the
successful hosting of this monumental Continental event.
According to CAF's stipulations, the minimum
requirement for hosting the tournament is to provide six stadiums to
accommodate the 24 participating teams. Furthermore, CAF mandates that among
these stadiums, two must have a seating capacity of 40,000, two with a capacity
of 20,000, and two with a capacity of 15,000. Kenya had previously come close to hosting the
tournament in 1996 but lost the opportunity due to an inability to fulfill
CAF's requirements.
Presently, the three participating countries face
infrastructure challenges within their borders, including the long-standing
issue of inadequate stadium infrastructure. Consequently, many East African
nations have had to host their continental matches in foreign territories. Recently, the Ugandan Football Association was
compelled to host two of its AFCON qualifiers away from home due to the
unavailability of a CAF-approved stadium for continental matches.
Of particular concern is Uganda, which has
lacked a CAF-approved stadium for nearly three years since Namboole Stadium was
blacklisted in 2020 for falling below the required standard. A comprehensive
overhaul valued at 97 billion shillings was recommended by CAF inspectors, but
to date, the renovation remains incomplete. Among the three East African nations involved
in the joint bid, Tanzania stands out as the sole country with a CAF-approved
stadium.
This raises questions regarding the readiness of the bid submitted by
Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, particularly when competing with Egypt, which
boasts more than five CAF-approved stadiums. However, Magogo has consistently
emphasized that CAF evaluates host nations not solely on their current
infrastructure but also on their plans to meet the tournament requirements
ahead of the scheduled dates. Additionally, the commitment of the respective
governments involved plays a pivotal role.
Recently, a delegation from the Confederation
of African Football, led by the inspecting agency PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC),
assessed the proposed facilities in East African countries concerning the bid
and will subsequently provide a comprehensive report. In Uganda, this inspection covered several key
infrastructures, including existing stadiums, hotels, and other essential
facilities.
The evaluated facilities included Namboole Stadium, Nakivubo
Stadium, Kampala Serena Hotel, St. Mary's Stadium in Kitende, Denver Godwin
Stadium in Garuga, and Entebbe Airport.
