FKF Boss Highlights Kenya’s Biggest Gains From AFCON 2027 Beyond Football

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed has urged Kenya and East Africa to look beyond the entertainment on the pitch when they host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will jointly host AFCON 2027 and there is excitement among fans who will get to watch some of the world’s top footballers live.

Hosting the tournament will also cost the three East African nations billions in terms of infrastructure upgrade, hosting fee and logistics that will make everything run seamless.

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That kind of investment has seen critics argue that it is not necessary when the country is grappling with a shortage of resources in other key sectors but Mohammed has explained why hosting the tournament is a guaranteed return on investment far beyond the matches.

“We saw this clearly with recent African tournaments, including Morocco’s hosting of AFCON this year, which attracted over 600,000 traveling fans, generated more than €1.5 billion in direct economic impact, and delivered over 6 billion digital views globally,” Mohammed said during the Kenyan Ambassadors conference.

“Morocco will also be co-hosting the next World Cup in 2030, together with Portugal and Spain. The multiplier effect of hosting such tournaments spans across hospitality, transport, infrastructure development, media, and small business ecosystems.”

Those are the kind of gains the FKF supremo is looking at for East Africa at next year’s tournament and has urged both government and private sector to work together and make sure it is a success with FKF looking to test the waters with the upcoming Women’s FIFA Series in Nairobi in April.

“The upcoming FIFA Series Women presents a significant opportunity for our country. It is more than just a tournament—it is a platform,” he added. “A platform to showcase Kenya to the world, to elevate women’s football, and to reinforce our position as a capable and credible host of international events. Moments like these allow us to demonstrate what is possible when we fully harness the potential of football.”

Mohammed East Africa learned vital lessons from hosting the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) and must implement most of it to reap the full fruits of hosting AFCON 2027.

“Major tournaments do create temporary influxes, yes—but more significantly, they reposition countries as prime destinations. They shift belief and perception, attract foreign investment, and accelerate the development of infrastructure,” said Mohammed.

“We can no longer treat sports—especially football—as an extracurricular sector. Football must be integrated within national development frameworks, be it in youth employment, tourism, urban planning, or international relations.”

“At the FKF level, we are deliberately restructuring ourselves to align with this thinking. That means shifting from a purely administrative model to a more strategic, partnership-driven one,” he stated regarding FKF’s plans to elevate Kenyan football.

“We are deliberate in pursuing collaborations across continents—with other federations, the private sector, global development agencies, and governments. Collaboration not just for funding, but for information and knowledge exchange, infrastructure development, and capacity building.”