Why Magogo believes East Africa will host the 2027 AFCON

Photo Credit: FUFA Media

FOOTBALL Why Magogo believes East Africa will host the 2027 AFCON

Shafic Kiyaga 21:04 - 15.09.2023

The bidding process for the 2027 AFCON has seen significant interest, with East African neighbors Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania jointly submitting a compelling candidacy through the Pamoja bid.

Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) president, Moses Magogo, has expressed immense optimism that East Africa will clinch the hosting rights for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania’s Pamoja bid is in a fierce race against Algeria and Egypt to secure the bid, and Magogo has revealed compelling reasons why the East African trio will emerge victorious.

Speaking at the two-day Africa Football Business Summit held in Nairobi, Magogo also outlined that all three nations are fully prepared to host the tournament, should they secure the bid.

"I believe we will still have enough time. The day it is decided that East Africa should host or will host the AFCON, there is still a lot of time; it will be different," Magogo confidently stated.

Magogo emphasized the essential role of the goodwill from the presidents of the three East African nations in facilitating swift preparations.

FUFA President Moses Magogo addressing a press conference | Photo Credit: FUFA Media

He argued that having three nations collaborate offers distinct advantages over the competition.

"The other bidders are talking about constructing stadiums; we are saying we have the infrastructure; we only need to stick to timelines," Magogo explained.

"As we talk about tenders and rehabilitations, these are things that can be done.”

“We have the goodwill of the president of Uganda, we have the goodwill of the president of Kenya, and we have the goodwill of the president of Tanzania."

Magogo believes that Algeria, one of the rival bidders, poses no substantial threat to East Africa's bid.

He suggested that Algeria might secure the hosting rights for the 2025 AFCON instead.

"If you have the goodwill of all three presidents who are talking at their level, for me, the day we get the bid, and the bid is awarded on plan.”

“Bids are not awarded on actuals because even the other bidders do not have the stadiums, maybe apart from Algeria, which has already hosted a number of these competitions," Magogo reasoned.

He continued, "I want to rule out Algeria on the basis that they are either going to have it or their neighbours will have had it (in 2025)."

Despite the current status of preparations in the region which holds only one CAF accredited stadium, Magogo remains unfazed.

He firmly believes that the necessary rehabilitation work will be completed on schedule.

"We, therefore, should not worry about the current status. I believe rehabilitation will be done on time," he asserted.

"We will not reconstruct Nyayo; we will not reconstruct Kasarani. All we need is to put it right, and we are supposed to be ready by January 2026; we are still only in 2023!"

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda have never hosted AFCON, and are hoping that their bid for the 2027 tournament will be successful.