Govt to fix Hoima Stadium to meet CAF standards

Hoima, Uganda | URN | The state minister of state for sports, Peter Ogwang, has said the government is ready to fix all anomalies discovered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at Hoima city stadium and other stadiums across the country ahead of the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Hoima City stadium was found unfit to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON)  matches, according to a report released by the Confederation of African football (CAF).

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in February this year sent an inspection team to assess the readiness of the three host nations: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

According to a report released by the inspection team, as of February 2026, none of Uganda’s four proposed stadiums, including Hoima city stadium, fully meet Category 4 requirements for hosting Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2027 matches.

The report indicates that Uganda’s AFCON 2027 infrastructure programme is in a mixed stage of construction, upgrades, and operational redesign, with significant gaps across key venues.

Specifically at Hoima stadium, whose construction has been finished and the facility handed over to the government, the CAF inspection committee indicated in the report that several operational deficiencies were detected.

The major issues detected at the facility by the CAF inspection committee include the absence of clear segregation between spectator categories, cross circulation between media, VIP, teams, and general spectators, non-compliant dressing rooms, and non-compliance of players’ dressing rooms.

The committee further discovered and stated in the report that the media facilities at the stadium are below the AFCON standards. The report further indicates that the mixed zone at the stadium is incorrectly located within the competition area, adding that there is limited operational buffer space due to the stadium’s geographical location.

The report also indicates that the current position of the benches is causing a major view obstruction from the stand.

The report contends that while the stadium structure is completed, significant operational reconfiguration is required to meet AFCON standards.

CAF has, however, recommended several changes to be achieved for the stadium to meet the AFCON standards, one of the being the implementation of redesigned spectator circulation and segregation plans.

Other recommendations include the relocation of the mixed zone outside the competition area, upgrade of referees dressing rooms and officials’ areas, upgrade of players’ dressing rooms, construction of dugouts to address the issue of benches obstructing pitch view from the stands, improvement of media infrastructure including press conference facilities, validation of spectator capacity and circulation safety and confirmation of operational overlay areas and buffer spaces among others.

All these changes should be made before August, when the inspection team will return to the country to inspect the facility ahead of the 2027 AFCON matches.

Now, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network (URN) on Saturday, Ogwang said the government will fix all the anomalies detected at Hoima stadium ahead of the 2027 AFCON and assured the public that Uganda will host the 2027 AFCON matches.

“Government will fix all the anomalies detected by the CAF inspection team at Hoima stadium and other stadiums meant to host the matches across the country ahead of the 2027 AFCON. Uganda will host AFCON 2027,” Ogwang said in a statement.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commissioned the newly built Hoima City stadium in December 2025 and stated that the completion of the facility is a big milestone in Uganda’s economic development, strategic planning, and commitment to sports.

The Government of Uganda contracted SUMMA in June 2024 to construct the 20,000-seater multi-purpose stadium in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Located in Kyarwiru Cell, Hoima East Division, the stadium is among the venues selected to host matches during the 2027 AFCON, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.

Construction of the facility cost 129 million US dollars and was fully financed through Uganda’s Petroleum Fund, which is supported by revenues from the country’s oil and gas resources.

Government officials said the funding decision was intended to ensure that proceeds from natural resources directly benefit citizens through long-term infrastructure development.

The choice to construct the stadium in Hoima, rather than Kampala, was driven by a government strategy to promote balanced national development.   Kampala already hosts major sports facilities such as Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, which is currently undergoing upgrades to meet international standards.

Hoima was selected due to its strategic position at the centre of Uganda’s emerging oil and gas region and its designation as a future economic hub.     The modern facility sits on 34 acres of land and meets FIFA and CAF standards.

The stadium features VVIP sections, an indoor arena, a swimming pool, modern changing rooms with gyms, volleyball and basketball courts, media conference halls, a hybrid turf, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, FIFA and CAF offices, referee rooms, training grounds, a media gallery, and parking space for nearly 1,000 vehicles.

Construction was fully supervised by the Ministry of Works and Transport, in collaboration with the Africa Cup of Nations Sub-Committee on Infrastructure. Hoima City Stadium is widely viewed as a strategic national investment.

Its international standards position it to host major continental events, drawing players, officials, media, and fans to the region.