Patrice Motsepe says he remains confident that the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be a success despite concerns surrounding infrastructure delays and political disputes affecting preparations in the three host nations.
Speaking to BBC Africa during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, the Confederation of African Football president acknowledged that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda still face challenges ahead of the tournament but insisted progress is continuing steadily.
“Are there areas where there’s room for improvement? Absolutely,” Motsepe said.
“But the commitment, the support from President Ruto of Kenya, from Madam President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Tanzania, from President Museveni in Uganda is enormous.”
The 2027 edition of the tournament will mark the first time the Africa Cup of Nations is jointly hosted by three countries.
It will also represent East Africa’s first staging of the competition in more than 50 years, with the region preparing to welcome Africa’s biggest football event for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the tournament in 1976.
Preparations for the tournament have come under increased scrutiny following a recent CAF inspection report that highlighted delays in several key infrastructure projects.
Among the concerns raised were the pace of stadium renovations and upgrades, as well as improvements to transport and supporting infrastructure across the three host nations.
Despite those issues, Motsepe insisted CAF remains actively involved in the process and has deployed dedicated teams to oversee developments on the ground.
“We’ve got people from CAF who are permanently based in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,” he said.
“They are working every day on the preparations and making sure that the AFCON, which is going to take place in June 2027, is going to be successful.”
In Kenya, tournament planning has also unfolded against the backdrop of internal tensions within the Football Kenya Federation.
Nine members of the federation’s 12-person executive committee have reportedly called for the resignation of federation president Hussein Mohammed over allegations relating to financial misconduct.
Mohammed has denied the accusations and instead accused rivals led by former Kenya international McDonald Mariga of attempting to remove him from office.
The dispute has attracted the attention of both CAF and FIFA, with the governing bodies seeking clarification regarding the situation.
Motsepe, however, expressed confidence that the matter would eventually be resolved in accordance with football regulations.
“I’m confident that we will resolve those issues in a manner that complies with the CAF and FIFA statutes and regulations,” he said.
Kenya has previously faced sanctions from FIFA linked to governance disputes.
In 2022, the country’s football federation was suspended for nine months after government intervention led to the disbandment of the federation’s leadership structure.
Despite the administrative and infrastructure concerns, CAF continues to project optimism over the tournament’s prospects.
The governing body believes the collaboration between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda represents an important moment for East African football and an opportunity to showcase the region on the continental stage.
With just over a year remaining before the competition begins, preparations are expected to intensify as the three countries work to meet CAF’s operational and infrastructure requirements ahead of the historic tournament.
