2027 AFCON to hold in East Africa as planned — CAF

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will go ahead as planned in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Friday.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe denied press reports that the competition could be postponed to 2028 because Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were not yet ready to host the tournament.

“We have done a lot to have AFCON held in East Africa, and our commitment remains to have AFCON in East Africa,” Motsepe said after a CAF executive committee meeting.

“I believe we will hold a very successful AFCON among the three countries.

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“CAF will work closely with the host nations to ensure every aspect of the tournament — from infrastructure to logistics- meets the highest standards.”

No dates have been set for the tournament, but CAF has picked the months of June and July, just before the Kenyan general elections in August.

Nicholas Musonye, chair of the Kenyan local organising committee, had suggested postponing the tournament to 2028 due to “the volatile atmosphere around these elections”.

He warned that “security would not be guaranteed for such a big competition as the Africa Cup of Nations”.

Motsepe said that CAF would continue to invest in the training and development of referees and VAR officials to ensure the integrity of African football remains a priority.

The officiating came under scrutiny at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, especially in the final between the hosts and Senegal in which the Senegalese staged a walk-off over a penalty decision before going on to win the title.

AFP