CAF president Patrice Motsepe has dismissed doubts over Kenya's ability to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, saying the progress made so far has strengthened his confidence that the country will deliver the continental tournament despite remaining challenges.
Motsepe on Friday gave the assurance after inspecting some of the key facilities in Nairobi, including the 60,000-capacity Talanta Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. Kenya will stage the tournament jointly with Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17 next year.
While acknowledging that some work is still required at Kasarani, the CAF boss said the outstanding issues should be addressed without losing sight of the improvements already made.
"I'm very confident. I want to focus on the positives and what is encouraging: the good work I have seen. This will be the most historic tournament in the history of the competition," Motsepe said.
His comments come after months of scrutiny over Kenya's readiness, with the condition of some of the facilities earmarked for the tournament attracting particular attention.
Motsepe said the concerns should not be allowed to overshadow the preparations and insisted Kenya would remain on course to host the competition.
"There are challenges, shortcomings, weaknesses and failures, but I am confident, following the report I received last night (Wednesday) and what I have seen during my visit, that we will indeed host the most successful Afcon in the history of the competition," he said.
He also rejected suggestions that CAF was considering alternative arrangements if Kenya failed to complete its preparations on time.
"There has been negative publicity in the media and discussions about whether Kenya will be ready. There is no Plan B or C. It happened during (the 2024 African Nations Championship) CHAN. I postponed it to give room for preparations, and it became a success, but I knew it would happen," he said.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe and President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on September 18, 2026.
PHOTO/PCS
Motsepe said his confidence in President William Ruto had also remained firm, pointing to Kenya's experience in hosting CHAN after preparations were extended.
"I had trust in President Ruto during CHAN, and he dia not disappoint. I believed in him and in us, and despite the challenges, it happened, he said.
The CAF president said he had previously received a report that raised concerns about Kenya's preparations. However, he said he directed his team to concentrate on identifying areas that needed attention instead of focusing only on the shortcomings.
"I received a negative report about Kenya, but I told the Caf team that you will never succeed if they focus on the negatives and shortcomings. I asked them to identify the areas where we need to make changes and improvements, and we have improved. I am now more confident than ever before, based on what I have seen."
After his inspection, Motsepe met President Ruto at State House, Nairobi, for talks on the country's preparations for the 2027 Afcon and other football-related matters.
He had earlier travelled to Tanzania, where he met government and football officials in Dar es Salaam and expressed similar optimism about the country's preparations.
The CAF president will not visit Uganda during the current regional tour because he is scheduled to travel to the United States of America after completing his Kenya engagements.
Motsepe said US entry requirements concerning travellers from countries that have recently reported Ebola cases had affected his itinerary. This is despite the World Health Organization declaring Uganda Ebola-free on August 27.
He said he would return to the region in January for another assessment, which will be his final inspection before the tournament gets under way.
"I will be coming back in January, and that will be the last time I visit until the opening match. This is a moment of pride," he said.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, who accompanied Motsepe during the inspection, said the government had agreed on a fresh plan to complete the remaining work at all facilities selected to host Afcon matches.
Mvurya said the government expects the work to be completed by December, paving the way for test matches to be played at the venues.
"This is a progressive visit. We have all looked at what is happening, identified areas that we need to address and, as government, we confirm that most of the areas earmarked for improvement have already been identified by our teams and we have agreed on a way forward"said Mvurya.
He said the new plan would be important in ensuring the country finishes the work within the agreed timeline.
"This way forward is very critical because we have also committed to a new work plan that will ensure we conclude everything by December. This will allow us to hold test matches at the various facilities," he added.
Motsepe also stressed the need for football stakeholders in Kenya to work together, saying unity within the football fraternity would play an important role in strengthening the national teams and ensuring the country successfully hosts the 2027 Afcon.