…CAF names Morocco 2025 host
Uganda’s East Africa Pamoja bid to host the 2027 AFCON finals, alongside Kenya and Tanzania has been approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt.
About 18 out of 54 African countries have hosted AFCON. But none of the three East African countries has ever hosted it.
The Nigeria and Benin Republic joint bid lost out on the 2027 co-host for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
CAF executive council members awarded the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosting rights to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The decision to award the right to the three countries as co-hosts took place in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday.
This is the first time Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will emerge as hosts of the continental tournament.
In 1980 Nigeria was awarded the hosting right of the AFCON and went on to emerge champions. The 2000 edition saw Nigeria co-host the tournament with Ghana.
“Our turn has now come! Thank you H.E President @KagutaMuseveni and the minister of education and sports, First Lady, @JanetMuseveni, and all Ugandans for standing with us.
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“Congratulations Uganda and EAC, pamoja tumefika!,” Peter Ogwang tweeted on his X handle @OgwangOgwang.
However, his celebration was greeted by negative vibes on social media with some Ugandans condemning the hosting right. “A combination of you and Namwamba smells of theft! The only honourable member there is the Tz minister. As a country, we’re going to lose more money to theft and eventually embarrass ourselves,” Luke Tambiti @@LukeT tweeted in response to @OgwangOgwang
Jimmy Kiberu @Kiberwimmy said, “Your neighbours have all set up dazzling modern FIFA-approved stadia. What will Uganda bring to the table? Nakivuo War Memorial now sitting on top of lockups and Nambole?”
Similarly, Morocco was announced as the host of the 2025 edition of the AFCON to replace Guinea who was stripped of the hosting right of the tournament in October 2022 following concerns about infrastructure and facilities.
This will be the second time Morocco will be staging the AFCON, after first doing so in 1988.
Morocco polled 22 votes to beat off Nigeria and Algeria who did not get any vote.
While Côte d’Ivoire will host the 2023 edition which will kick off in January 2024.
The first time the tournament was held in Côte d’Ivoire was in 1984 and was won by Cameroon.
