By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – The president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has acknowledged an “emergency” in preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, while insisting that the tournament will remain in its three East African host countries.
Motsepe spoke in Dar es Salaam during a visit to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, which will jointly host the continental tournament as Pamoja 2027. With about nine months remaining before the tournament, concerns have persisted over the readiness of stadiums, infrastructure and other facilities across the three host countries.
Motsepe, however, said CAF was not considering an alternative venue. “There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C,” he told journalists.
He said CAF would work with Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to address areas where preparations were falling behind schedule. “I have seen improvements since my last visit,” Motsepe said. “The problem is we are nine months away from the AFCON, which is a big emergency.”
He added that specific areas identified as requiring improvement also needed urgent attention. The CAF president nevertheless criticised the exaggerated or misleading reports about preparations for the tournament.
“Many of you see these negative media reports, and I think some of them are misinformation,” he said, arguing that some shortcomings had been amplified in a way that created what he called a “wrong perception”.
Motsepe said CAF welcomed media scrutiny but called for reporting to reflect both shortcomings and progress. “The media must be objective,” he said. “Criticise us and make sure that they make us aware of our failures and our deficiencies. It’s very important. We need that.”
He added that positive developments should also be reported. “What we would also request is that where there’s good work that’s happening in Tanzania, say so,” Motsepe said.
The CAF president was particularly emphatic when asked whether Tanzania could eventually be considered too far behind to host the tournament. “There will not be a Plan B,” he said. “There will not be a stage when there will be a perception that Tanzania is irrevocably behind.”
CAF will continue monitoring preparations in the three countries, with Motsepe expected to return to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in January 2027 for what he described as the final assessment ahead of the tournament.
AFCON 2027 is scheduled to begin on 19 June 2027, with the final set for 17 July. For the three co-hosts, the coming months will therefore be critical as they work to complete outstanding preparations and ensure that facilities and infrastructure are ready for Africa’s premier international football tournament.
