Motsepe urges urgency as Kenya races to ready Afcon 2027 venues

WHAT HAPPENED
CAF president Patrice Motsepe urged a “heightened sense of urgency” from Kenya after inspecting two Nairobi venues as preparations continue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. He told BBC Sport Africa that stadiums should be used in January to test them and see what further improvements are required.

Motsepe visited Kasarani Stadium and the newly constructed 60,000-capacity Talanta Stadium during a tour that began in Tanzania. He met Kenyan President William Ruto during the visit.

KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED
- Kasarani and its corresponding training facility remain a major concern: the playing surface has not yet been laid and work is still required on broadcast and television cabling, floodlights and the stadium sky boxes.
- Caf’s expectations extend beyond stadiums to hotels, roads and training pitches; Motsepe said some facilities were still below required levels even as he acknowledged “very good progress.”
- Motsepe highlighted security and protocol demands for hundreds of VIPs and heads of state, noting some stadium seating plans will need revision.

TIMELINE AND ASSURANCES
The tournament is scheduled to open on 19 June with the final on 17 July 2027. Motsepe said there is little room for delay and that, “even though we've got nine months, we need to start using those stadiums in January next year to test them.” Kenya’s cabinet secretary for sports, Salim Mvurya, said preparations would be accelerated and that “we will conclude everything by December to be sure we can have test matches in the various facilities.” Motsepe is due to return for a final assessment visit in January.

CONTEXT
Nairobi was also awarded the 2029 World Athletics Championships; Kasarani is set to host that event. Recent Caf tournaments have experienced late changes: this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was moved from March to July, and the 2024 African Nations Championship in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda was postponed from February 2025 to August 2025 to allow infrastructure work to meet required levels.

WHY IT MATTERS
Motsepe stressed there is “isn't the slightest consideration of a postponement,” underlining Caf’s position that the co-hosts must meet infrastructure and operational standards on the current schedule.