CAF President Tells Off East Africa Critics as He Announces AFCON 2027 Expansion

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have their work cut out after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced changes set to be effected, starting with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe said on Sunday that AFCON will now be expanded from 24 to 28 teams, starting with the 2027 tournament, adding extra pressure on East Africa, which is set to host the event.

Already, East Africa is feeling the strain after a recent inspection by CAF delivered a damning verdict on facilities with all three countries still way behind schedule.

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They will now need to up their game to have the capacity to host 28 teams as it means the tournament will have seven groups of four teams up from six groups which will require at least two stadiums from the host nations.

Amid criticism that East Africa will not be ready, Motsepe maintained that the region will host AFCON 2027 and is planning a visit in May to assess progress on preparations for the tournament.

"We ​have to stop this thing of ‌African fixtures not being predictable, consistent and reliable. We must develop football in East Africa, which is an area of much ⁠potential," Motsepe ⁠said.

That assurance is a boost for East Africa but it also adds pressure on the three countries with Kenya still behind in stadium upgrade and yet to start work on training facilities.

In Uganda, the Mandela national Stadium (Namboole Stadium) was cited as behind schedule in upgrades while Hoima City Stadium has several deficiencies despite being a newly-built facility while there are concerns over the lack of high-end hotels in Bunyoro region where the stadium is located.