East Africans have a special relationship with deadlines.
We see a deadline.
We acknowledge the deadline.
We discuss the deadline.
Then, approximately 17 minutes before the deadline, everyone suddenly starts moving like their life depends on it.
So when reports emerged that CAF was exploring alternative options for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations because of delays in preparations by Kenya and Uganda, the immediate reaction from East Africa was probably:
“Relax bana, tutamaliza.”
And to be fair, there is evidence that we might.
The 2027 AFCON is scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania set to become the first three countries to jointly host the men’s continental championship.
But with less than nine months to go, CAF president Patrice Motsepe has admitted that there is still work to do.
He has also made his position rather clear.
There is no Plan B. There is no Plan C.
At least for now.
So what started the “AFCON could be moved” story?
A Goal report raised concerns that CAF was looking at alternative hosting arrangements because of delays surrounding infrastructure in Kenya and Uganda.
The concerns are not completely imaginary.
CAF has been inspecting the facilities, issuing recommendations and pushing the three countries to accelerate preparations.
Motsepe himself said the hosts need a “heightened sense of urgency” and stressed that stadiums need to be ready early enough to allow proper testing before the tournament.
So yes, CAF is watching.
Very closely.
But there is an important difference between CAF being concerned and CAF preparing to take AFCON away.
On September 17, Motsepe said he remained confident that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania would host the tournament and specifically rejected suggestions of moving it elsewhere.
So, as things stand:
AFCON 2027 is still coming to East Africa.
The hosts just need to stop making CAF nervous.
Kenya: “We are almost there, bana”
Kenya’s preparations have actually moved considerably since the early concerns.
The biggest project is the 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City, now known as Raila Odinga International Stadium.
As of August, government officials put its completion at more than 94 per cent, with November targeted for opening and test matches expected before the end of the year.
By September, Sports CS Salim Mvurya was still insisting there was no reason for panic.
He said Raila Odinga International Stadium was about 94 per cent complete, while work was also progressing at Kasarani and other facilities. Kasarani’s old playing surface had been removed as part of the renovation.
There is also some encouraging feedback from the CAF inspection.
A delegation that visited Kenya in late August reportedly expressed satisfaction with progress, particularly at the 60,000-capacity Talanta facility.
But Kenya still has plenty to finish.
Stadiums need more than seats and a nice roof.
There are training pitches, media facilities, broadcast infrastructure, hospitality areas, transport, security, accreditation and a whole list of those things nobody thinks about until CAF walks in with a clipboard.
And there has been pressure over funding too.
In May, Kenya’s Sports Department told Parliament that an additional KSh11.02 billion was required to complete earmarked AFCON stadium projects.
So yes, Kenya is moving.
But yes, Kenya is also doing that familiar Kenyan thing where the deadline suddenly gives everybody superpowers.
Uganda: Apparently the homework is almost done
Uganda’s latest update is even more reassuring.
The country’s Local Organising Committee says Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium is about 80 per cent complete, while Hoima City Stadium has addressed roughly 95 per cent of the issues identified by CAF during an earlier inspection.
Mandela National Stadium, meanwhile, is undergoing remodelling and is targeted for completion by December.
Uganda also expects 10 of its 12 training facilities to be ready by December, with the remaining two expected in January 2027.
The government says it is fully funding the infrastructure programme, including Sh135.7 billion (UGX) for nine additional training facilities.
Tanzania might be the quiet one doing the most
And then there is Tanzania.
While Kenya and Uganda have been receiving plenty of attention over deadlines, Tanzania has quietly been making substantial progress.
A CAF inspection earlier this year found Tanzania to have the most advanced structural position among the three hosts, although several facilities still needed technical and operational improvements.
CAF inspectors have also expressed satisfaction with upgrades at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, including improvements to the pitch, VIP and VVIP areas and media facilities.
That probably explains why Motsepe specifically praised the work being done in Tanzania during his recent visit.
He said he was “very proud” of the progress there, while still warning that all three countries needed to speed things up.
Tanzania, meanwhile, is also looking beyond the stadium.
The country has been preparing medical facilities, training grounds and other supporting infrastructure around the tournament.
And here comes the East African joke
Now, before we start congratulating ourselves, let’s address the obvious.
Why are we always like this?
Why does a project that has been known about for years suddenly become an emergency when the deadline is approaching?
Why does everyone suddenly discover overtime?
Why does construction speed increase dramatically when CAF says, “Guys, we need to test this thing”?
😂
But there is another side to the East African stereotype.
We may be late.
Very late.
But sometimes we actually get there.
And when we get there, the result can be surprisingly good. You can bet on that.
Look beyond football.
Kenya has built a reputation around mobile-money innovation, fintech and digital services. Agriculture across the region continues to adapt through technology, improved value chains and new markets. Tanzania has been expanding infrastructure and tourism capacity, while Uganda has been investing in its own transport, energy and industrial projects.
East Africa has plenty of examples of people and businesses that started late, figured things out under pressure and still found a way to compete.
The football teams, unfortunately, have not always received that memo.
Because while the stadiums are being built like European football infrastructure…
Harambee Stars sometimes play like they were informed about the match yesterday.
That one we cannot blame on CAF. 😂
The stadiums might be ready before the football
And that is perhaps the funniest part of the whole AFCON 2027 story.
East Africa is preparing some serious football infrastructure.
Kenya has Talanta.
Uganda has Akii-Bua, Hoima and the revamped Namboole.
Tanzania has its established venues and upgraded facilities.
The stadiums are getting new pitches.
Training facilities are being developed.
Media and broadcast infrastructure is being upgraded.
Governments are throwing billions into the preparations.
CAF is inspecting everything.
Meanwhile, the football fans are quietly asking:
“Will our teams be competitive?”
Kenya’s own Sports Department has already acknowledged that the national team needs to match the ambitions of the infrastructure being built. Officials have specifically called for Harambee Stars’ preparations to keep pace with the hosting project.
Because imagine building a beautiful 60,000-seat stadium only for the home team to exit in the group stage.
The stadium will still look beautiful.
But the vibes?
Eish.
So, are we losing AFCON 2027?
At the moment, there is no confirmed move away from East Africa.
The reports about alternative plans have raised legitimate concerns about the pace of preparations, but CAF’s public position remains that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host AFCON 2027.
Motsepe has said the tournament will stay where it was awarded and that CAF will work with the three countries to close the remaining gaps.
The real deadline, however, is no longer abstract.
The tournament starts on June 19, 2027.
Before then, the stadiums need to be completed.
Then tested.
Then tested again.
