Today marks exactly one year until the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania preparing to jointly host Africa’s biggest football tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The tournament will be a landmark occasion for East Africa after the three nations were awarded the hosting rights by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on September 27, 2023. It will be the first time the competition is hosted by three countries and the first AFCON to be staged in the region since 1976.
With the countdown now entering its final 12 months, attention is increasingly turning to the readiness of the host nations, particularly the progress of infrastructure projects that are central to the successful delivery of the tournament.
For Uganda, CAF has confirmed Mandela National Stadium in Kampala and Hoima City Stadium as the country’s two official match venues. The decision meant that other facilities initially considered for hosting duties, including Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira, were left out of the final list of tournament venues.
Mandela National Stadium continues to undergo additional upgrades aimed at meeting CAF’s requirements, while construction work at Hoima City Stadium remains ongoing. The Hoima facility is expected to play a significant role during the tournament and has become one of Uganda’s flagship AFCON projects.
Away from the match venues, Uganda is also required to provide eight training facilities for participating teams. Work on several of those facilities is still underway as authorities seek to ensure they meet the standards required for a major continental competition.
The challenge extends beyond football infrastructure. Hosting AFCON will require efficient transport systems, adequate hotel accommodation, quality healthcare services and improved airport operations to accommodate teams, officials, media personnel and thousands of supporters expected to travel to the country during the tournament.
Despite the scale of the task, government officials have consistently expressed confidence that Uganda will be ready in time. The Ministry of Education and Sports has repeatedly stated that funding has been released to support the construction and upgrading of key facilities, with preparations expected to intensify over the coming months.
With exactly one year remaining before the opening match, Uganda enters a crucial phase of its AFCON 2027 journey, balancing optimism with the urgency of completing major projects that will determine the country’s readiness to host one of the continent’s most prestigious sporting events.
