CAF President Patrice Motsepe has voiced firm confidence in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania’s capacity to successfully co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the tournament will mark another important step in the development of football across the continent.
Speaking during an interactive media briefing in Rabat, Motsepe addressed concerns raised by veteran journalist Mamadou Gueye, who questioned whether the East African trio could meet expectations after Morocco’s highly anticipated 2025 edition is expected to set exceptionally high standards.
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Motsepe made it clear that CAF’s long-term vision goes beyond concentrating major tournaments in a handful of traditionally well-equipped nations. For him, AFCON must serve as a catalyst for growth across all regions of Africa.
“I have a duty to develop football all over Africa,” he started. “We cant host the AFCON in only four countries that we believe have got all the infrastructure but you have to create opportunities for other countries to build infrastructure at the level of the world cup that we want them and develop football in those countries,” he explained.
The CAF boss acknowledged that hosting a multi-nation tournament is never without difficulties, but stressed that challenges are part of the learning and growth process.
“I am confident that the AFCON in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will be successful. There will be challenges like the world cup in Qatar. And like we are going to the world cup now in United States, Canada and Mexico, there will be challenges. That is why I was insisting that the CHAN takes place in those countries even though they were not ready in February and I was convinced that helps in organising the AFCON in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda,” he concluded.
Motsepe further underlined that while CAF is committed to spreading major competitions across all footballing zones, this ambition does not come at the expense of quality. He reiterated that critical infrastructure, particularly playing surfaces and stadium standards, remains non-negotiable.
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With preparations set to intensify over the coming months, the 2027 AFCON is shaping up to be a landmark event for East Africa, one that CAF believes will leave a lasting legacy well beyond the final whistle.
