The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in June and July as planned, Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe has confirmed, rejecting speculation that the tournament could be delayed or shifted on the calendar.
Speaking after a Caf executive committee meeting in Dar es Salaam, Motsepe described reports of a possible postponement as “totally unfounded,” reaffirming that the East African co-hosts – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – remain on course to deliver the continent’s flagship football event.
The tournament will mark a historic first: three nations jointly staging Afcon in the CECAFA region. However, questions have persisted about whether stadiums, transport networks and related infrastructure projects will be completed in time.
Despite the concerns, Motsepe projected confidence. “The Afcon next year in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is going to be enormously successful,” he said. “I am enormously confident. There are always challenges. We have to believe in ourselves as Africans and believe in our people. The quality of people we have who lead African football are world class.”
His remarks came as Caf officials began a fresh round of inspections across the three host nations, assessing facilities and readiness levels. The review process is expected to inform final operational timelines before specific match dates are announced.
Still, not all voices within the region share the same urgency. Nicholas Musonye, chair of Kenya’s local organising committee, suggested this week that pushing the tournament to 2028 “would be good for Kenya,” citing the country’s general election scheduled for August 2027. His comments have added a political dimension to the logistical debate.
Caf had previously committed to moving Afcon to a mid-year window beginning in 2019 to reduce friction with European clubs over player releases. Yet the last three editions were played between January and February or December and January reviving tensions with clubs reluctant to release players during their domestic seasons.
From 2028 onward, Afcon will also shift from a biennial competition to a four-year cycle, aligning more closely with other major international tournaments.
Motsepe did not provide updates on bids for the 2028 edition but indicated he would like to see the tournament expanded beyond its current 24-team format to 28 teams in future.
Elsewhere, Caf reaffirmed that Morocco remains the designated host for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Although South Africa briefly signalled interest in stepping in, Motsepe clarified that the event must proceed within its scheduled March window, as it serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“The Wafcon continues and it will be successful,” he said. “It has to take place within that window.”
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