2027 Africa Cup of Nations Scheduled Amid Infrastructure Concerns

omidbasir- Senegal triumphed over Morocco with a 1-0 victory after extra time last month, securing the title of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced that the 2027 Afcon will be held in June and July of next year. The tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Motsepe dismissed rumors suggesting that the tournament would be delayed or relocated, labeling such claims as “totally unfounded.”

Concerns have been raised regarding the readiness of the necessary infrastructure in the three East African nations to adequately host the finals. In light of these concerns, Nicholas Musonye, chair of Kenya’s local organizing committee, indicated to AFP that a postponement to 2028 would be beneficial for Kenya, given that the country will be preparing for a general election in August 2027.

Motsepe expressed his confidence in the success of the upcoming tournament, stating, “The Afcon next year in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda is going to be enormously successful. I am enormously confident. There are always challenges. We have to believe in ourselves as Africans and believe in our people. The quality of people we have who lead African football are world-class.”

He made these remarks during a press conference following a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Dar es Salaam, which coincided with an inspection of facilities and infrastructure across the three host nations, set to continue until Tuesday.

CAF had committed to hosting Afcon in mid-year starting in 2019, although the past three editions have occurred in either January-February or December-January. The scheduling during the European club season has led to disputes regarding player release dates. Starting in 2028, the Afcon will be held every four years instead of biennially.

The specific dates for the 2027 Afcon will be announced in due course, according to Motsepe. He did not provide updates on bids to host the 2028 finals but expressed hope for expanding the tournament from 24 to 28 teams in the future.

Additionally, Motsepe stated that CAF “still has an engagement” with Morocco for hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), set to commence on March 17. Recent comments from South Africa’s deputy sports minister suggested that South Africa might step in to host the finals; however, these were clarified by Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, affirming that Morocco “remains the officially designated host” for Wafcon 2026.

Motsepe noted that while other countries have expressed interest in hosting, they requested date changes. “We can’t change the date because it is a qualifier for the [2027] Women’s World Cup,” he clarified. “The Wafcon continues, and it will be successful. It must occur within that window.”