Kwesiga Emma
Sep 29, 2023
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Cerebrations as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (EA Pamoja) win rights to host the TotalEnergies CAF

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (EA Pamoja) win rights to host the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.
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Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.

Hooray! The three countries in the East African region are gearing up for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) having won the rights to host Africa’s biggest soccer event in African football.

This was announced after the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo on Wednesday by the confederation of African Football (CAF) president Dr. Patrice Motsepe. The 36th edition of the highly competitive and entertaining soccer event for the very first time in the history of the event will be the very first to be co-hosted by three nations.

Having expressed a unified interest to the CAF to host the finals under the EA Pamoja unity, this is going to be the very first time that any of the countries hosts the most celebrated soccer event in African football which returns to the region of East Africa 51 years later after having been hosted by Ethiopia in 1976.

Morocco won the rights to host the 2025 AFCON unopposed following withdrawal of bids from Nigeria and Algeria. Algeria withdrew its bid just a day prior to the official announcement and committee meeting by the CAF executive in Cairo. The nation had been gearing up for both the 2025 and 2027 editions of the event.

EA Pamoja which won the bid for the three countries signifies unity in vision and strength in togetherness. “Pamoja” a Swahili word that means togetherness and the three countries in the East African region hence EA, signify the solidarity with which Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were able to out-bid Egypt, Botswana, Senegal’s late entry bid and Algeria that withdrew on Tuesday.

It’s a party in East Africa!

“In the near future, an African Nation will win the world cup.” Motsepe echoed excitedly while speaking about the bright future of African football flanked by his executive committee. Among the delegation for the EA Pamoja (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) was the President of the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) Moses Magogo who took to his X (formerly Twitter) with a joyful teaser thread that read “Hello Uganda, hello East Africa. Let’s get ready to welcome Africa to our beautiful part of Africa” excited to show the rest of Africa to the pearl of Africa. He added in ecstasy, “taking Uganda to Afcon (Gabon) after 39 was sweet, but bringing AFCON to Uganda is more than an orgasm”

Despite the more advanced sporting facilities in Senegal and Egypt in comparison to the three countries Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, Motsepe the CAF Boss mentioned that the decision that saw the EA Pamoja awarded the rights to host the AFCON was based on “African Unity”.  In elaboration about how amazing it was for the three nations to come together to meet the extremely stringent requirements and high standards, Motsepe added, “Sometimes it requires hundreds of millions—sometimes billions-in infrastructure. It makes me proud when football brings countries together”.

The CAF boss applauded the three nation’s Presidents on their unity and commitment toward hosting the event, and their positivity in the efforts to host the AFCON.

Inside the bid and the situation in the nations of the EA Pamoja!

In Kenya, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF)’s President Nick Mwendwa, “it’s time to work.” He mentioned that it’s not the time to celebrate as winning the bid is only but the start of the hard work. Efforts have to be put in to avoid ‘unreadiness’ which led to withdrawal of the nation’s rights to host the event back in 1996.

Out of the five stadia Uganda presented in the EA Pamoja bid, St. Mary’s Kitende is playable with a few tweaks needed to touch it up. Namboole the National stadium is still under renovation. AFCON holds a legacy of football-on-natural -grass as opposed to playing on artificial turfs which are the nature of the Nakivubo and St. Mary’s stadia to which end not much is known about how CAF will go about that situation. The other services in the Uganda bid include hospitals by Mulago, hotels by the Sheraton and Kampala Serena, airports including Entebbe international Airport, Kabalega airport and hoima.

Kenya is set to improve upon the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and Nyayo stadia in Nairobi.

Tanzania which comprises a CAF Certified venue, the Benjamin Mkapa National stadium is set for the event as it meets the standards even though few tweaks will do the trick.

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