AFCON 2027: Kenya Brings Back Alternate Venue Ahead of Crucial CAF Inspection

A delegation from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is scheduled to arrive in Kenya on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, for a crucial inspection of the country's facilities ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kenya will co-host the 36th edition of the continental tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

The CAF officials are also expected to visit the other two host nations as preparations for the tournament enter a critical phase.

Nicholas Musonye, chairman of Kenya's Local Organising Committee (LOC), confirmed on Monday that the Kenyan inspection will take place on Thursday and Friday.

The visiting delegation will assess several key areas of the country's preparations, with stadiums and training grounds among the major facilities under scrutiny.

Hotels, airports and hospitals will also form part of the inspection as CAF evaluates whether Kenya is on course to meet the requirements for hosting Africa's biggest football tournament. "We are confident that we are okay in our preparations," Musonye stated.

He revealed that the inspection team will visit all the venues earmarked for the tournament, including the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani and the new Talanta Sports City.

In a notable development, Musonye announced that Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret has been reinstated into Kenya's hosting plans as an alternative venue.

The move could give Kenya greater flexibility as it continues working to ensure it has enough facilities capable of meeting CAF's requirements, while also creating a wider sporting legacy beyond the tournament.

"We want to have as many venues as possible not just for AFCON, but also for use beyond the tournament," he explained.

The inclusion of Eldoret as a potential alternative comes as the country accelerates construction and renovation work at its key sporting venues ahead of the January 2027 deadline.

While stadium readiness remains one of the biggest areas of focus, Musonye expressed confidence that Kenya has sufficient supporting infrastructure to host teams, officials and supporters.

"We have enough facilities when it comes to hotels, airports and even hospitals. Even CAF themselves have no issue with that."

The inspection will nevertheless provide an important opportunity for CAF to independently assess the country's readiness across all areas required to stage a successful major international tournament.

Kenya's designated match venues are the 48,000-seater MISC Kasarani and the 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City, which is expected to accommodate 60,000 spectators.

Both projects remain central to the country's preparations, with extensive work continuing to ensure they are ready to meet the standards required for the 2027 AFCON.

A wider network of training venues has also been identified, including Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nyayo National Stadium and several annex pitches at Kasarani and Talanta Sports City.

The upcoming CAF visit comes after Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya chaired a meeting of the ‘2027 Pamoja AFCON Oversight Committee’ on Monday to review Kenya's preparations.

This week's assessment follows a previous CAF inspection in February, when none of the proposed venues across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were found to have met the required standards.

The upcoming inspection will therefore offer a clearer picture of how far Kenya has progressed and whether the country remains on track to meet the final requirement for all facilities to be fully operational by January 2027.

With less than a year remaining before the tournament kicks off, the findings from the CAF delegation's visit could prove crucial in shaping the next phase of Kenya's preparations.