The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will take place as scheduled in June and July, according to the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe.
The tournament is set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Speaking on Friday in Dar es Salaam after a CAF Executive Committee meeting, Dr Motsepe addressed recent rumors suggesting the event might be moved to 2028. He described those claims as completely untrue.
“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.”
During the meeting, Dr Motsepe also spoke about the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, which he described as one of the best in the tournament’s history.
He congratulated Senegal for winning the title but expressed concern over incidents that happened during the final. He promised that stricter punishments would be introduced for rule-breaking in future competitions.
“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.
Dr Motsepe also announced that AFCON will soon expand to include 28 teams, up from the current 24. This change marks a major step forward for football on the continent.
While the exact dates for the 2027 tournament have not yet been confirmed, Dr Motsepe revealed that the opening match will be held in Tanzania. Other details are still being discussed.
CAF is also working to ensure the tournament fits well with World Cup qualifying matches. Dr Motsepe explained that the dates cannot be changed because the competition is part of the qualification process for the World Cup.
“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,” he said.
Preparations for the 2027 AFCON are expected to bring excitement across East Africa. Organizers are confident that the event will highlight the region’s improving football facilities and ability to host a major international tournament.