Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are set to bring the Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) to East Africa as the three countries submitted a joint bid to host the 2027 edition of the tournament.
The joint bid from the three Eastern African countries will rival bids from Algeria, Botswana, and Egypt. All the aforementioned countries have officially submitted their bids as of Thursday, April 27, according to the African Football Confederation (CAF).
The Kenyan government endorsed a cabinet suggestion in December to bid for the tournament with two of its neighbors.
It is believed that if CAF grants Kenya and the other two eastern countries the opportunity of hosting Africa in 2027, that will give Kenya’s national team, Harambee Stars, more motivation to push for a place in the 2030 World Cup.
Ababu Namwamba, the Kenyan minister of sports, and his counterparts in Tanzania and Uganda announced their joint bid for the 2027 AFCON on Wednesday. They said they hoped to form a joint organizing and bidding committee for the tournament.
“Our joint bid with Uganda and Tanzania for the AFCON 2027 is a strong one. It is about time the Africa Cup of Nations comes to East Africa,” Namwamba told reporters.
Most East African countries suffer from inadequate stadium infrastructure, which forces their national teams to play continental competitions outside their countries.
OsunDaily News recalls that Kenya attempted to host AFCON in 1996 and 2018 but its bids failed because of poor facilities and a lack of stadiums with international clearance.
Amidst eastern countries, Ethiopia has hosted the tournament the most. The country hosted the tournament in 1962, 1968, and 1976. While Sudan hosted the event’s first edition in 1957 and again in 1970.
CAF will reveal the successful bids in September, and also announce a new host for the 2025 edition of the tournament in the same month after Guinea lost its right to host the event in October 2022.
