2027 AFCON will enormously be successful - CAF president Patrice Motsepe assures

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has expressed confidence that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027, to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will be a major success despite ongoing preparations and infrastructure challenges.

The East African trio will stage the continent’s flagship football tournament for the first time, with the competition expected to mark a historic moment for the region when it kicks off in 2027.

Speaking to the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Motsepe revealed that significant progress is being made in preparations and backed the three host nations to deliver a memorable tournament.

"The AFCON in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will be enormously successful," he said.

The CAF president highlighted the importance of trusting African nations with major sporting events, drawing comparisons with previous tournament preparations where host countries faced challenges but eventually delivered.

"During the World Cup 2014, I was there, and I could see some portions of the stadium that hosted the opening game were not complete," he said.

"When I took over CAF, there was no way I was gonna take the hosting rights from Cameroon in 2021 because we need to have confidence in our people despite the challenges."

Motsepe insisted that challenges during preparations should not undermine the ability of African countries to successfully host major competitions, stressing the need for continued support and commitment.

"Sometimes there will be failures, but we will try again, so the AFCON in East Africa is going to be successful. There are some challenges, but I am proud of the work the heads of state of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are doing."

The 2027 edition of AFCON will be the first time the tournament is hosted by the three East African countries, with authorities working on upgrading stadiums, training facilities and other key infrastructure ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, the road to AFCON 2027 will officially begin later this year, with the qualifiers scheduled to commence in September as national teams across Africa battle for places at the tournament.