CAF Makes Emergency Move As 2027 AFCON Hosting Concerns Mount In East Africa

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly begun exploring possible contingency arrangements for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations amid concerns over the readiness of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to host the tournament.

The three East African nations are scheduled to jointly stage the 36th edition of the continental competition from June 19 to July 17, 2027. However, reports of delays involving stadiums, accommodation and other infrastructure have raised questions about whether the host countries will meet CAF’s requirements in time.

According to Bush Radio Academy, French newspaper Le Monde reported that CAF has contacted Morocco, South Africa and Algeria as possible alternative hosts should the East African countries be unable to complete their preparations. Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire were also reportedly identified as countries with the infrastructure to potentially stage the tournament at short notice.

The report comes despite CAF President Patrice Motsepe maintaining that the hosting arrangement remains unchanged. Following an inspection tour of the three host nations, Motsepe said CAF was not considering “either a Plan B or a Plan C,” while acknowledging that significant work remained to be completed.

CAF has continued to monitor preparations across the three countries. In September, Motsepe visited Tanzania and Kenya to assess progress and discuss areas requiring further attention ahead of the tournament. CAF said the inspections were intended to ensure preparations remain aligned with its infrastructure and operational requirements.

Earlier, CAF and officials from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda established an oversight committee to coordinate preparations, with key areas including stadium development, accommodation, transport, security, medical services and other tournament infrastructure.

The reported concerns are particularly significant in Kenya and Uganda, where some major stadium projects have faced delays. Le Monde previously reported that CAF inspections had identified shortcomings in facilities in both countries, while Tanzania was considered to be further ahead in meeting the required standards.

CAF is expected to conduct additional inspections before making any final determination on the readiness of the three host countries. The governing body has previously changed AFCON hosts when preparations failed to meet required timelines, including the relocation of the 2013 tournament from Libya to South Africa and the 2019 edition from Cameroon to Egypt.

The 2027 tournament would be the first AFCON jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and would mark the competition’s return to the East African region for the first time since Ethiopia staged the tournament in 1976.