How venues for 2027 AFCON Opening Ceremony and Final will be decided

13th October 2023 - by Stephen Ochieng

Debate has been raging online as to which countries will get to stage the important points of the tournament.

SUMMARY

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania jointly won the bid to host the 2027 tournament.
Debate has been raging as to which country will host the opening ceremony and the title deciding final considered to be the significant parts of such an event.
According to Namwamba, CAF will have the final say on the matter once thorough assessment has been done on various metrics.

By Tony Kipkorir

Since Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda won the bid to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), most fans have been wondering which cities will stage the opening ceremony and finals of the historic event.

Tanzanians have been vocal on social media platforms arguing that the Dar es Salaam based Benjamin Mkapa Stadium deserves to host the final of the prestigious tournament.

On the other hand, Kenyans and Ugandans have also tried to convince people that their countries are best suited to host the last title-deciding match.

On the back of the ongoing debate, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba has revealed that the decision will be made based on many metrics.

Also Read: Why CAF said yes to 2027 AFCON bid from East Africa

According to Namwamba, the continental football governing body will have the final say on the matter once thorough assessment has been done.

“We will sit down and assess the capabilities of every capital, and at the end of the day remember this is a CAF event. So CAF makes the final call on the basis of many metrics.

We believe we will make objective decisions from the best metrics. Who is capable to do what and what works best where,” Namwamba explained.

The Sports Cabinet Secretary also assured Kenyans that the three East African countries will sit down and agree just like they did during the packaging of the Pamoja Bid.

Also Read: Kenya set to host 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN)

He further announced that the renovation works at the Nyayo National Stadium, Kipchoge Keino Stadium and the Moi International Sports Center will kick off in November 2023.

Namwamba confirmed that the three facilities have already been handed over to the Kenya Defense Forces.

“We cannot hide the fact that our sporting infrastructures are in tatters. The last time we invested anything serious in infrastructure sport wise was thirty years ago.

“So, it is about time we made some serious investments and we are ready to do that. We have redesigned Kasarani, Nyayo and Kipchoge Keino Stadium,” he stated.

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A delegation from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is scheduled to investigate the renovation works at these venues in 2025 to assess the country’s level of preparedness.

During the renovation process, the national football teams, including Harambee Stars and Harambee Starlets are proposed to play their international matches at the Kiambu-based Kirigiti Stadium and Ulinzi Sports Complex in Langata.