The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, will proceed as planned in June and July, CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe has confirmed.
Speaking on Friday in Dar es Salaam after a CAF Executive Committee meeting, Motsepe dismissed circulating speculation that the tournament might be postponed to 2028, calling the claims “totally unfounded.”
“The last few days I have seen a lot of media speculation that I’m here to tell Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda that I’m taking AFCON because they are not ready. That is totally unfounded,” said Motsepe. “I am confident that the three East African countries will stage a hugely successful tournament.”
Motsepe also reflected on the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, describing it as the most successful in the competition’s history. He congratulated Senegal on their victory but expressed disappointment over incidents in the final, vowing stricter penalties for rule violations in future tournaments.
“What happened in Morocco should not happen again. We’ll amend the CAF statutes to ensure appropriate penalties for extreme violations and to protect the good name of African football,” he said.
Looking ahead, Motsepe revealed that AFCON will expand to 28 teams from the current 24, signalling a major development for African football.
While the exact dates for AFCON 2027 are yet to be announced, he confirmed the opening match will take place in Tanzania, with final details still under discussion.
CAF is also coordinating the schedule carefully to align with World Cup qualifiers, emphasising that the tournament cannot be moved outside the planned window.
“We can’t change the dates because it’s one of the qualifiers for the World Cup. We’ll make sure it has to take place within that window,” said Motsepe.
The build-up to AFCON 2027 is expected to generate significant excitement across East Africa, with organisers confident the tournament will showcase the region’s growing football infrastructure and hosting capabilities.
Addressing reporters further, Motsepe spoke candidly about what he described as his “enormous disappointment” over incidents that marred the AFCON 2025 final in Morocco.
“When I gave my statement a few days after the AFCON in Morocco, I used the words I was extremely disappointed with what took place at the final. Very embarrassing. That should never happen again. It will never happen again,” he said.
He stressed that while the matter is currently before CAF’s disciplinary structures and could proceed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), CAF’s leadership remains resolute in safeguarding the integrity of African football.
“As President of CAF, I may not comment on proceedings that are before the CAF disciplinary board and now apparently going to appeal and possibly to CAS,” he noted. “But I am very clear in my mind, and the CAF EXCO is very clear, that it is absolutely non-negotiable that we maintain the integrity, the credibility and the impartiality of referees, African referees, CAF referees, VAR operators and match commissioners.”
Motsepe revealed that the Executive Committee received detailed reports from the Referees Committee chairman regarding the performance of match officials during the final and throughout the tournament.
