CAF maintains AFCON 2027 is going to PAMOJA – Patrice Motsepe

Speaking at the opening of the CAF Strategy Conference in Santa Maria in Cape Verde today, Motsepe reiterated his previous statements that the East African countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, remain Plan A, Plan B and Plan C to host this tournament. 

The next AFCON is set to run from 19 June to 17 July next year, and Motsepe says there’s no other option...

"We will be going to Pamoja, and we will be going to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and we are going to enjoy the most successful AFCON. Are there challenges? There will always be challenges, but I had wonderful meetings with the respective heads of state."

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There have been concerns about the state of readiness, particularly for Kenya, where there’s been continuous CAF inspection visits and issues raised about the slow pace of progress in the construction of the Kasarani Stadium and the newly constructed 60,000-capacity Talanta Stadium. 

SABC Sport understands that the CAF Inspection Committee has not been happy with the slow pace of Kenya, as compared to Uganda and Tanzania...

"I had meetings with the United Nations as well as with nineteen heads of state from around the world to discuss using football as a tool to unite our people across different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds."

Motsepe has met the heads of states of Tanzania and Kenya and will soon be meeting Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, where the issue of AFCON preparations will be highly prioritised. Despite the concerns about the slow pace, Motsepe is encouraged by the commitments from the governments of the three countries.

Sticking to the theme of this event, “Making football in CAF’s 54 member associations world-class and self-supporting to uplift CAF competitions to be globally competitive”, Motsepe says this is where they need to concentrate - on the business of football.