Kenya confirms hosting fee paid for 2027 AFCON

NAIROBI, KENYA | Xinhua | Kenya confirmed on Tuesday that it has paid the 30 million U.S. dollar hosting fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Salim Mvurya, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Salim Mvurya said the government had also met all other conditions set by CAF to stage the tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Mvurya said a restructured multi-agency local organizing committee has been established, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors across key areas of delivery.

“This multi-sectoral approach is deliberate, ensuring that our institutional capacity is fully aligned with the scale, complexity and urgency of preparations required to host a tournament of AFCON’s magnitude,” he said in a statement.

“Following the CAF inspection report, we will embark on accelerated implementation of all infrastructure and operational compliance requirements. These include the fast-tracked construction and upgrading of match venues, training facilities, transport and logistics systems, as well as safety, security and broadcast standards,” he continued, adding that Kenya is addressing recommendations with urgency and accountability.

The 2027 AFCON is scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 18 across venues in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kampala, marking the first time the tournament will be co-hosted by three countries.

CAF announced in January that the 2027 edition will be the last held under the current two-year cycle, with the competition expected to switch to a four-year cycle from 2028. The host of the 2028 tournament has yet to be decided. ■