The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly started looking at other countries that could step in to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, in case Kenya and Uganda fail to finish their preparations on time. The news has caused a lot of talk among football fans across East Africa, especially since this is the first time the region is set to host the continent's biggest football tournament.
According to reports that first came from French newspaper Le Monde and were later picked up by Goal.com and other sports websites, CAF has already reached out to Morocco, South Africa and Algeria as possible stand-ins. Some reports also say Ivory Coast and Egypt are on CAF's list because they already have stadiums and hotels that can handle a tournament of this size. It is important to note that these are reports, and CAF has not come out to say it has picked a new host.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are meant to share the hosting duties under the "Pamoja" bid, and the tournament is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The three countries won the right to host in September 2023, when the CAF Executive Committee voted in Cairo, Egypt. At the time, many East Africans celebrated, because the region had never hosted the tournament before.
The reports say that recent inspection visits by CAF officials raised concerns about unfinished stadiums, not enough accommodation and other logistics problems. Tanzania, the third partner, has largely been spared from these worries. In fact, the current reports single out Kenya and Uganda as the countries lagging behind, while Tanzania has been praised for the progress it has made.
CAF officials are expected to make fresh inspection trips in the coming months. After those visits, the football body will decide what to do about the East African hosting arrangement. That decision could go either way. CAF could confirm that the three countries are on track, or it could move to remove some or all of the hosting rights.
Despite the noise, CAF president Patrice Motsepe has stayed positive. He has repeatedly said he believes the tournament will be played in East Africa and that he has faith in the football federations and governments of the three countries. He has admitted that a lot of work still remains, but he has urged East Africans to believe in themselves and to work together to beat the deadlines. At one meeting in Tanzania, he even said he did not want to keep answering questions about whether the tournament would be taken away from the region.
For Kenyans, this story brings back some bad memories. Kenya was stripped of the right to host the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations after it failed to make enough progress on its facilities. Kenya also lost the right to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2018 for the same reason. Because of this history, many fans are now asking whether the country is about to be embarrassed again, or whether this time will be different.
There is also the question of money. Earlier this year, Kenyan officials said the country still had to pay a hosting fee of about KSh3.9 billion to CAF, while Uganda and Tanzania had already paid their shares. Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi assured the public that there was enough time and that the money would be provided through the budget process. Football lovers will be watching closely to see that every commitment made by government is fully met.
On the ground, work is continuing at some venues. The Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi, is undergoing rehabilitation, while the new Talanta Sports City Stadium has been promoted by the government as a modern facility that will make Kenya proud. President William Ruto has in the past said Kenya is ready to host, and Motsepe has praised the pace of work on Kenyan stadiums on earlier occasions. The big question now is whether the work is moving fast enough to satisfy CAF's inspectors.
In Uganda, Football Federation president Moses Magogo has also expressed confidence. After the last tournament in Morocco, where the CAF flag was handed over to the 2027 hosts, he said the three countries had what it takes to organise a successful event. He admitted that East Africa cannot match the world-class facilities Morocco offered, but he promised a tournament that people would talk about for years.
There is a lot at stake for the region. Hosting AFCON is not just about football. It brings visitors, fills hotels and restaurants, gives boda boda riders and traders more customers, and creates temporary jobs. Governments also hope that good stadiums will help young talent grow long after the final whistle. If the hosting rights are taken away, all these benefits could be lost, and the region would also lose a rare chance to show the world what it can do.
Some fans believe the reports are a warning shot from CAF to make the hosts work faster, while others think the football body is only being careful, as any organiser would be. CAF has a history of acting quickly when hosts fall behind. It moved the 2025 tournament from Guinea to Morocco after Guinea's preparations were judged not good enough, and that tournament went on to be a success. This shows the football body will not hesitate to change plans when it feels a host is not ready.
Another factor that keeps coming up in public discussion is Kenya's general election, which is set for 2027. Some people worry that politics could slow down the work or take attention away from the tournament. Motsepe was asked about this and said he did not think the election would affect AFCON. Still, many Kenyans want to see clear timelines, honest updates on progress and strict supervision of contractors so that no time is wasted.
For now, the message from CAF's side seems to be that the door is still open for East Africa, but the clock is ticking. The remaining months will be very important. The stadiums must be completed and certified, training grounds must be ready, hotels and transport must be organised, and security and health plans must be put in place. Any weak link in the chain could give CAF the reason it needs to activate its backup plan.
Football fans in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are now waiting anxiously. Many are hoping that the reports will push leaders and contractors to speed up the work. After all, the region has waited for decades to host this tournament, and few people want to see the chance slip away because of delays that could have been avoided.
As the situation develops, all eyes will be on CAF's next inspection visits and on the official statements from the three governments and football federations. Until then, the reports remain unconfirmed, and the fate of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa depends on what happens in the coming months.
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