CAF president Patrice Motsepe has insisted the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, despite concerns over preparations for the tournament.
Motsepe is in Nairobi as part of an inspection tour of the three countries that will jointly host the continental competition, with CAF assessing their readiness ahead of next year’s tournament.
The Confederation of African Football president’s visit to Kenya follows a short trip to Tanzania, where he acknowledged that there were challenges in getting the tournament preparations on schedule but rejected suggestions that the event could be transferred to another location.
Motsepe said CAF would continue working with the three East African nations to address areas where progress had fallen behind.
“There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C. We are working hard and the AFCON will take place,” the CAF President made it clear during the press conference.
The 2027 tournament, known as Pamoja 2027, is being jointly prepared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Motsepe’s regional tour is intended to assess the progress being made by the three co-hosts as the competition approaches.
In Nairobi, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed received Motsepe following his arrival in the Kenyan capital.
A statement from FKF confirmed: “Football Kenya Federation President Hussein Mohammed this evening received the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe, in Nairobi.
“Dr. Motsepe’s visit forms part of his tour of the three Pamoja AFCON 2027 co-hosting nations, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as preparations for the continental showpiece continue.”
Motsepe’s visit comes with CAF continuing to examine the readiness of the three host countries. The inspection is taking place with the tournament now nine months away, a timeframe the CAF president described as a major concern.
“The problem is we are nine months away from the AfCON, which is a big emergency,” he added.
During his visit to Tanzania, Motsepe said he remained confident that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania would be able to stage the tournament successfully. He also dismissed suggestions in the media that the competition might be moved to another country.
“There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C. We are working hard and the AFCON will take place,” the CAF President made it clear during the press conference.
He said the three countries were working alongside CAF to deal with the difficulties that have emerged during the preparations.
“There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C. We are working hard and the AFCON will take place,” the CAF President made it clear during the press conference.
Motsepe said there had been visible progress since his previous visit, while acknowledging that further work remained before the tournament could begin.
“We’re going to work together on those areas where we are falling behind, we’ll correct them,” added Dr. Motsepe.
The CAF president also said the organisation was committed to helping the host nations meet important deadlines. His comments came during an inspection visit in Tanzania, where he conceded that preparations faced difficulties but maintained that the challenges could be addressed through continued cooperation.
The three countries are therefore continuing preparations for the continental showpiece, with CAF monitoring their progress as the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations draws closer.
Motsepe has also confirmed that a decision has not yet been made on which of the three host nations will stage the opening match of the tournament.
