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CAF president sets the record straight amid 2027 AFCON postponement fears
13th February, 2026 06:24 PM
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is on track to take place in June and July, with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania set as co-hosts, Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has confirmed.
Football fans across the continent can expect the tournament to proceed as scheduled, despite recent rumours suggesting the tournament would be postponed due to issues like infrastructure.
“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,” Motsepe said.
“I am confident that the three East African countries will stage a hugely successful tournament,” he added.
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.
Motsepe revealed that AFCON will expand to 28 teams from the current 24, marking a significant milestone for African football.
Although the precise dates for AFCON 2027 have not been announced, he confirmed that the opening match will be held in Tanzania, with further arrangements still being finalised.
The tournament
CAF is carefully planning the tournament schedule to ensure alignment with World Cup qualifiers, stressing that the competition must remain within the designated timeframe.
“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,” Motsepe said.
The lead-up to AFCON 2027 is expected to generate widespread excitement across East Africa, with organisers confident the event will highlight the region’s advancing football infrastructure and hosting capabilities.
Motsepe expressed what he described as his “enormous disappointment” over incidents that overshadowed 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,” the CAF boss said.
He emphasised that although the matter is currently before CAF’s disciplinary structures and may proceed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the organisation’s leadership is determined to protect 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 added that the Executive Committee received comprehensive reports from the Referees Committee chairman on the performance of match officials during both the final and the tournament as a whole.
