Uganda confirms AFCON 2027 hosting bid with Kenya, Tanzania
Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are set to join hands and make a historic bid for the hosting rights of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ugandan lawmaker Moses Magogo, who doubles up as the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) president, confirmed Uganda’s joint hosting bid with other East African nations in his speech to Parliament.
“Right Honorable Speaker and Members, it is about the bid to host the AFCON games in 2027. I’m privileged to be a member of the CAF Executive Committee, the body that runs African football. On 5th April, 2023, the CAF Committee opened bids for countries interested to host the 24 nations in Africa’s biggest football event, also known as AFCON. In July 2022, President Museveni hosted the CAF President and the CECAFA President and President of Tanzania; and the President gave a duty to the Parliament of Uganda to undertake to bid it host AFCON 2027 as long as it was not in competition with any other East African country.
The football federations of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to make a joint bid to bring to East Africa for the first time in 66 years. Under rule 59 where I can bring a motion without notice, I call upon this August House to support Uganda’s bid to host the AFCON 2027 because when we host, the issues we are discussing on infrastructure would automatically be absorbed because it will be a requirement for us to improve on the infrastructure that we have,” said Honorable Magogo.
The Ugandan Parliament supported the AFCON 2027 hosting bid.
In Kenya, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu cities will likely host the matches if the bid is successful while Kampala will stage the Ugandan-based games. Dar es Salaam and Dodoma are likely to host those in Tanzania.
The AFCON 2027 will bring together Africa’s biggest talents such as Liverpool’s Mo Salah (Egypt/LiverpooL) and Sadio Mane( Bayern Munich/Senegal).
Kenya failed to host this tournament on two occasions in the past- 1994 and 2008- when the tournament organizers ruled that the country’s stadiums were not up to the required standards.
In December 2022, President William Ruto’s Cabinet approved Kenya’s joint bid with other East African nations in a bid to provide the national team, Harambee Stars, the platform to help them qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
This decision also provided for the development of football as a way of reviving the sport in the country.
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