AFCON 2027: Mounting Infrastructure Delays Push CAF to Consider Alternative Hosts

Slow construction and renovation progress across co-hosts Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania has cast serious doubt over their readiness to stage the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), prompting the Confederation of African Football to closely monitor potential backup solutions, as first reported by Le Monde.

The joint hosting venture, officially dubbed the "Pamoja 2027" bid, marks the first time in continental football history that three nations have teamed up to organise Africa's flagship sporting event.

However, with the tournament scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027, the preparation timeline came under intense scrutiny during an inspection tour led by CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

Addressing the media following high-level site visits, the South African executive publicly dismissed speculation about shifting the continental showpiece away from East Africa, asserting that CAF is considering "neither a Plan B nor a Plan C".

Yet behind the public show of solidarity, Patrice Motsepe acknowledged the scale of the challenge regarding lagging infrastructure, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, admitting that organisers face "a situation of great urgency".

With an expanded 24-team tournament requiring at least six fully certified international-standard stadiums, training complexes, upgraded transport links, and hotel capacity, the clock is ticking loudly for all three local organising committees.

Another high-level inspection visit is scheduled for January 2027, which is widely viewed as the definitive deadline for major structural milestones.

The core of CAF's concern centres on the pace of capital works required to bring facilities up to modern tournament benchmarks.

The Kenyan government is managing two massive projects in Nairobi, the ground-up construction of the 60,000-capacity Talanta Sports City Stadium (Raila Odinga International Stadium) and structural overhauls at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

While contractors have accelerated installation of hybrid pitches and modern seating, delays in interior finishing and surrounding access roads remain a concern.

In Uganda, upgrades at the flagship Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) in Kampala have faced repeated delays, while secondary proposed venues in regions like Hoima require major logistics and transport network upgrades.

While the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam is already operational, planned venue enhancements in Arusha and Zanzibar require sustained momentum to meet full continental broadcasting and hospitality guidelines.

These conflicting signals have fueled speculation that African football's governing body is discreetly sounding out emergency hosts with ready-to-use facilities should the East African trio fall short.

According to Saïd Ali Saïd Athouman, president of the Comoros Football Federation, only a select group of countries could take over a 24-team tournament at short notice.

"There are five nations in Africa capable of stepping up to such a challenge, largely because they have enough approved stadiums: South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Ivory Coast," Athouman told Le Monde.

These five alternatives possess newly constructed or recently tested infrastructure. Morocco (host of AFCON 2025) and Ivory Coast (host of AFCON 2023) boast modern stadium networks, while South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria possess established transport and hospitality networks capable of stepping in if CAF is forced to execute an emergency relocation.